Lebanon’s economic and social crises target children

Lebanon’s overlapping political, economic and social crises continue to target the country’s children. Relying on data collected last Month, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, argues these crises negatively impact every aspect of children’s lives. This terrible situation is “eroding the childhood of hundreds of thousands of children, through multiple crises not of their making,” stated UNICEF Representative Edouard Beigbeder, “Its severity is crushing children’s dreams, and taking away their learning, their happiness and their future.” Children between the ages of zero and 15 years constitute 25 per cent of the population of 5.6 million.

Soaring prices are continuing to compel 26 per cent of poor families to take children out of school. This amounted to a rise of 8 per cent since the last UNICEF survey in April. Among the children not attending school, 16 per cent were sent out to work, up from 11 per cent. To buy essential supplies, 84 per cent of households had to borrow money or buy on credit, a 16-point increase in six months. Eighty-one per cent cut spending on health treatment, a 6 per cent increase. Tension and feelings of hopelessness are on the rise in children with 38 per cent consumed by anxiety and 24 per cent depressed.

The situation of Palestinian and Syrian refugee households is worse than in Lebanese families. Conditions are deteriorating in the south, a region afflicted with a high rate of poverty and instability due to Israeli bombing and shelling in response to Hizbollah missile strikes in northern Israel.

“The daily suffering of children must stop,” declared Beigbeder. “We must redouble our efforts to make sure every child in Lebanon is in school and learning, is protected from physical and mental harm and has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to society.”

Lebanon’s families, particularly the children, are suffering from a politicians-made catastrophe which began in 2019 when the Lebanese economy took a major downturn. This prompted hundreds of thousands of Lebanese to pour into the country’s streets squares to demand reform, the end of the rule by the aging political elite, and the abandonment of the sectarian power-sharing system imposed during the post World War I French mandate (1920-1943).

Divided politicians promptly united in order to remain in power but did not agree on anything else. While they ignored popular demands they continued bickering, creating political stasis. Nothing was done to tackle economic meltdown and social decline. The poverty rate, 25 per cent in 2019, has soared to more than 80 per cent today. It was hoped that the 2022 parliamentary election would effect change. Ahead of the vote, the cabinet of Najib Mikati resigned and became a caretaker government without the authority to adopt major reforms. While deputies favouring change won seats in the new parliament, traditional parties prevailed. Parliament became deadlocked and has been unable to elect a new president since controversial Michel Aoun stepped down at the end of October 2022. After squabbling for months over a replacement for the army chief, Joseph Aoun (no relation of the ex-president), was asked to stay on for another year.

The politicians had no choice in this matter. Since Hamas attacked Israel, killed 1,200, and took captive 240 Israelis and others, southern Lebanon has become a low-level second front in Israel’s Gaza war. Lebanon’s Hizbollah has been exchanging fire with the Israeli military. Fifty thousand civilians have fled their homes and villages on both sides of the border. In the limited exchanges (which do not amount to clashes or fighting), 108 Hizbollah fighters, one Lebanese soldier, and 16 Lebanese civilians, seven Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed.

The cross-border hostilities have wrecked the economy of south Lebanon. Israeli shells and bombs have destroyed farmland, olive plantations, homes, businesses, and infrastructure and wiped out family savings and jobs. The olive harvest has been disrupted, reducing oil output and depriving the region of existential revenue. UNICEF has reported schools have been shelled or closed. Pales-tinians and Syrians living as refugees in south Lebanon are under pressure to leave. Many have tried the sea route to Cyprus, Greece, and Italy.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) report that the rate of development in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan is set to decline due to the regional impact of the Gaza war.

If the war continues until the end if the year, 230,000 additional people could slide below the poverty line in these three countries and the cost of the war in lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could amount to US $10.3 billion. If the war carries on into 2024, half a million people could be impoverished and GDP losses could rise to $ 18 billion, the UN agencies report.

Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States Abdullah Al-Dardari stated, “These countries were already experiencing economic challenges because of COVID-19 and a host of global economic crises, including those precipitated by the war in Ukraine. And we should not lose sight that the spillover effects from the war in Gaza in trade, tourism, and livelihoods, are exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and putting at risk the modest gains that these neighbouring countries have made to put their economies and societies back on track.”

The post-civil war economic and social decline of Syria has long undermined the economies of both Lebanon and Jordan. Before its civil and proxy wars (2011-2019) Syria was the hub for transit trade with the Arab hinterland and had developed a vibrant tourism sector which benefitted its neighbours. In 2010, Syria received 8 million tourists and expected 10 million in 2011 until unrest erupted that March. During the conflict Syrian cities, towns and villages were damaged, infrastructure destroyed, and half the population of 23 million was driven from the country or displaced. Nevertheless, Syrians hoped to recoup and rebuild once the fighting stopped. This did not happen. The refusal of the US and Western Europe to lift sanctions on Syria has prevented reconstruction and driven 90 per cent of its population into poverty. Lebanese and Jordanian economic crises have also negatively impacted Syria, contributing to overall regional poverty and instability.