UNICEF Sounds the Alarm in Lebanon: Children Paying the Price of Violence Despite the Truce

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced that at least 59 children were killed or injured in Lebanon over the past week, despite the continued implementation of the ceasefire agreement, in a scene that reflects the worsening humanitarian tragedy directly affecting children.

The organization noted that the past seven days witnessed the killing and injury of dozens of children, including two children who were killed along with their mother on Thursday in an airstrike that targeted the car they were traveling in.

According to the National News Agency, the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that the toll since the start of the truce has reached 23 dead and 93 wounded, while the total number of casualties since March 2 has risen to 200 dead and 806 wounded, amid continuing security and humanitarian repercussions.

UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder stressed that children in Lebanon are still being killed and injured at a time when they should have been enjoying safety and returning to their schools, warning of the rapid deterioration in their psychological and living conditions.

The organization pointed out that more than 770,000 children in Lebanon are suffering from worsening psychological disorders, including anxiety, nightmares, and depression, with anxiety indicators rising to 72 percent and depression to 62 percent among children affected by the events.