Unaccompanied and separated children face severe anxiety, harassment and exploitation in Lebanon, warns the IRC

Beirut, Lebanon, November 21, 2024 —  Children are bearing the brunt of the escalating conflict in Lebanon, according to a new assessment by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The situation for children and their caregivers continues to deteriorate across Lebanon amid escalating Israeli airstrikes and new displacement orders. The majority of the children separated from families surveyed by the IRC are now living with extended family, neighbours or being hosted in shelters.   

Children who have been separated from their families or caregivers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. IRC’s assessment reveals many children who have been displaced or experienced airstrikes have severe anxiety. Many have lost access to basic services, including education, with 550 public schools and educational institutions repurposed as emergency shelters. Without familial or community structures in place to keep children safe, these children are more susceptible to child labor, harassment, exploitation, and other protection risks, especially when residing in overcrowded shelters or individual apartments lacking privacy.   

Taghrid Abdallah, IRC’s Child Protection Coordinator in Lebanon, explained:  

"When a child is separated from their parents, we conduct a rapid assessment and coordinate with local authorities to try and locate their relatives. Once identified, we ensure the family can provide the necessary care and begin the case management process. This also involves providing financial support to ensure the family can meet the basic needs of the children.  

"The majority of the cases we are working to reunify with their family involve Lebanese children, along with some Syrian refugee children. The children affected are of all age groups, including newborns. If extended family members cannot be located, we refer the children to child protection shelters. There, they receive shelter, food, clothing, and healthcare until reunification can be safely and appropriately facilitated. 

“As one of the leading agencies in child protection and in coordination with other actors in Lebanon, the IRC is responsible for handling child protection and reunification cases related to unaccompanied and separated children in the Bekaa governorate. Prior to the most recent escalation, the IRC had begun delivering awareness sessions and distributing flyers in Bekaa with instructions on how to assist unaccompanied and separated children, along with a hotline for immediate professional support. So far, the IRC has reunited 27 children with their families.” 

Before being reunited with her relatives by the IRC and our local partner in Bekaa, one 16 year old Lebanese child said, “I lost my parents and everything in my life. I had lost hope”. Others told the IRC that through this support, they have been able to be reunited with their last remaining family members after their parents and siblings were killed.  

Under the current circumstances, children are in urgent need of care and emotional support. Ongoing toxic stress from violence and displacement can lead to long-term health challenges for children. Without support through psychosocial activities or safe spaces for children, there is a significant risk of long-term developmental impacts, including on brain development. 

The IRC urges the international community, donors, and humanitarian organisations to scale up support for child protection services in Lebanon, including mental health and psychosocial activities for traumatised children. As the only way to protect civilians and to facilitate the massive scale-up of aid, the IRC calls for urgent diplomatic efforts to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Lebanon. International Humanitarian Law must be respected, and civilians, including children, must be protected.