UNICEF says children go to bed hungry in at least one in five households in Lebanon as conflict compounds years of economic crisis

30 September 2026

The UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, said in an alert on 30 September 2026 that children go to bed hungry in at least one in five households in Lebanon, and that four in five households struggle to afford basic necessities.
Its report "An Enduring Nightmare" says about one in three surveyed families said their children had missed necessary healthcare, and 14 per cent said at least one child was working.
Since 2 March 2026 at least 261 children have been killed and 1,056 injured, an average of seven children killed or injured every day over six months.
UNICEF said 436 schools have been damaged or destroyed, putting around 100,000 children at risk of losing access to a classroom.
Of the more than one million people displaced within weeks of the escalation, nearly 330,000 have yet to go home, nearly six months after the 17 April ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.