Lebanon

Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953, using a rights-based approach to support children, adolescents, and youth. We focus on education, child participation and protection, food security, livelihoods, clean water, and safe shelter. Our work spans across all regions of Lebanon, supporting not only vulnerable Lebanese children but also refugees and migrant children, with an emphasis on marginalized and disadvantaged groups. We particularly prioritize marginalized girls, children with disabilities, separated or unaccompanied children, those affected by conflict, and child labourers.

Our programmes operate throughout Lebanon, including in Akkar, North Lebanon, Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel, Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and South Lebanon.

We firmly believe that every child deserves a future. We are committed to protecting their lives, amplifying their voices, and safeguarding their potential.

Our vision is a world where every child can experience survival, protection, development, and participation. Our mission is to inspire positive change in how the world treats children and to create lasting, meaningful improvements in their lives.

Children in Lebanon continue to face extremely difficult conditions after years of economic collapse, political instability and conflict. The Lebanon- Israel conflict has forced many families to flee their homes multiple times, uprooting children from their communities, schools and support networks again and again. 

For many children, displacement has become a recurring reality. Some families who returned to damaged homes after earlier hostilities have now been forced to flee once more. Each new wave of violence deepens the disruption to children’s lives, separating them from friends, teachers and familiar routines that are essential for their wellbeing. 

The most recent escalation has triggered continued new waves of displacement across Lebanon, including families moving into Beirut and other urban areas in search of safety. Many fled in the middle of the night as airstrikes and insecurity intensified, seeking shelter with relatives, in temporary shelters or in overcrowded schools. Classrooms that should be filled with learning are now being used as places of refuge, further disrupting children’s education and sense of normalcy. 

Protection risks for children are increasing as families struggle to cope with deepening poverty and instability. Malnutrition is a significant concern, with large portions of children in regions like Baalbek-Hermel and the Bekaa facing extreme food deprivation. Mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, are widespread, affecting both children and their caregivers.

The cumulative impact of conflict, economic collapse and repeated displacement is putting an entire generation of children at risk. Without sustained humanitarian support, children across Lebanon will continue to face growing threats to their safety, wellbeing and future. The ongoing crisis is eroding Lebanon’s recovery capacity and putting the future of its children in jeopardy. 

Save the Children is urgently calling for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon and across the wider region to protect children from further harm. Only an end to the fighting can allow children and their families to begin to recover and rebuild their lives.