Wed Sep 25 07:43:54 UTC 2024: ## Lebanon: Unprecedented Child Casualties Amidst Escalating Conflict
**GENEVA/BEIRUT, 24 September 2024** – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has sounded the alarm over the devastating impact of the escalating conflict in Lebanon, particularly on children.
A staggering 35 children were reportedly killed in Lebanon on Monday alone, exceeding the number of child deaths in the past 11 months. This grim statistic, alongside over 1,645 injured, including children and women, paints a harrowing picture of the current situation.
UNICEF Deputy Representative to Lebanon, Ettie Higgins, highlighted the grave danger faced by countless children exposed to ongoing attacks, displacement, and a struggling healthcare system. She warned that if the conflict escalates to levels seen in 2006, the consequences for children could be even more severe.
The current crisis compounds an already fragile situation in Lebanon, struggling with a prolonged economic and political crisis, the impact of the Beirut Port explosion, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a crippling economic downturn. Many families were already living on the brink of poverty, and the conflict exacerbates their plight.
Higgins expressed particular concern for families forced to flee their homes in southern and eastern Lebanon, adding to the already existing 112,000 displaced people since October. Schools are closed across the country, leaving children at home in fear, while their caregivers grapple with uncertainty and mounting anxieties.
UNICEF is urgently responding to the crisis, preparing to deliver essential supplies to displaced families, including food, water, mattresses, and hygiene kits. The organization has already procured and delivered 100 tons of emergency medical supplies to hospitals facing shortages, with additional supplies expected this week.
UNICEF is calling for an immediate de-escalation of the conflict and for all parties involved to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. This includes ensuring the protection of civilian infrastructure and civilians, particularly children, humanitarian workers, and medical personnel, and facilitating the safe movement of those seeking refuge.
Higgins concluded by stating that Monday was Lebanon’s worst day in 18 years and that the violence must cease immediately to prevent further catastrophic consequences for the children of Lebanon.
First Piper 