Brussels - Beirut: Europe and the Arabs
An increasing number of families in Lebanon are forced to send their children, some as young as 6 years old, to the labor market in a desperate attempt to cope with the economic and social crisis sweeping the country. According to the United Nations news bulletin, of which we received a copy

According to a statistical study conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), many families in Lebanon are almost unable to meet their most basic needs, despite the significant reduction in their spending. The study paints a bleak picture of the situation as the crisis in Lebanon escalates for the fourth consecutive year, with devastating consequences for children.

Edward Bigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, said that the combined crises facing children in Lebanon lead to an intolerable situation that destroys their morale, destroys their mental health and threatens to destroy their hope for a better future.

The UNICEF report, based on an urgent assessment conducted by the organization, found that about 9 out of 10 people do not have enough money to buy basic items, which leads them to resort to harsh measures to cope with the crisis.

The report also shows that 15% of families stopped their children's education, 75% cut back on health care expenditures, and 40% of families were forced to sell family property.

Despite these desperate measures, many families cannot afford the quantity and variety of food they need or access to health care.

To a large extent, the crisis leads to what is described as poverty related to the menstrual cycle, as more than half of the participants in the UNICEF survey stated that women and girls do not have enough money to purchase the personal items necessary for the menstrual cycle.

UNICEF urged the Lebanese government to urgently implement the national social protection strategy, and to invest in education through reform and national policies to ensure that all children - especially the vulnerable - have access to quality and inclusive education.

The UNICEF representative in Lebanon said that increased investment in basic services for children, especially education, health and social protection, will help mitigate the effects of the crisis on them, ensure the well-being and survival of future generations, and contribute to economic recovery.