UN: Crisis in Lübnan hits children the hardest

The United Nations (UN) announced that the humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing conflict in Lübnan disproportionately and most severely affects children. Although the return process to their communities has begun for over half a million Lübnanlı displaced due to the conflict in the country, the situation remains at a critical level. Tens of thousands of people are unwilling or unable financially to return to their homes due to security concerns, damage to their homes, and lack of essential services. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric emphasized that despite a decrease in hostilities following the ceasefire declared on 19 Haziran, the humanitarian situation remains alarming. This situation reveals that a lasting peace has not yet been established in the region and that the civilian population, especially vulnerable groups, is living in great uncertainty.

UN Spokesperson Dujarric, in his statement to journalists, noted that returns are continuing but conditions in many areas remain extremely fragile. Military activities and security incidents continue to be recorded in conflict areas, preventing civilians from returning to their homes safely. It was reported that more than 34 thousand people are currently still forced to live in collective shelters. Many families cannot return to their neighborhoods because their homes were severely damaged in the clashes. Additionally, the presence of unexploded ordnance in villages poses a serious danger of death and injury to the local population.

Millions of civilians who want to or are forced to return to their homes are facing the absence of basic infrastructure and services. The failure to provide vital services such as water, electricity, healthcare, and food is essentially paralyzing daily life. Unexploded ordnance remains an invisible source of danger for both adults and children playing in the streets. The clearance of this ordnance is essential for the area to become truly livable, but this process requires time and expertise. UN officials state that humanitarian aid organizations are under great risks even while working in these areas and that security measures must be increased.

On the other hand, UN agencies have issued new warnings that food insecurity is increasing in Lübnan. The halting of economic life by the war and the disruption of agricultural activities have severely weakened the food supply chain in the country. Tensions and clashes between İsrail and Hizbullah further worsen Lübnan's already crisis-stricken economy. Evacuation orders issued by İsrail directly affect ten percent of the country's territory, forcing thousands of families into mandatory migration. This mass displacement leads to both the depletion of resources and an increase in hygiene and health problems due to extreme overcrowding in camps.

Amidst all this humanitarian catastrophe, the situation of children, the most vulnerable victims of the crisis, stands out as a major source of concern. The United Nations reports that children face multiple crises, including psychological trauma, disruption of their education, and malnutrition. Overcrowding and unhealthy conditions in shelters increase the risk of infectious diseases spreading rapidly among children. For future generations to grow up in a healthy environment, the international community must provide urgent and uninterrupted humanitarian intervention. The UN calls on the parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law and to increase protective measures for civilians, especially children.