Toronto, November 12, 2024 – About 300,000 children have fled from Lebanon to Syria in the past seven weeks to seek safety from the worsening conflict, only to arrive in a country where humanitarian needs have never been higher, Save the Children said [1].
Many children are travelling alone, separated from parents or families, and are at risk of abuse, food shortages and illness as winter looms . An estimated 70% of the people being displaced from Lebanon to Syria are Syrians [2], with the remainder Lebanese or other nationalities. The UN estimates that approximately 60% are children and adolescents with many arriving in desperate need of medical care, shelter, food and water [3].
At least 1.2 million people in Lebanon – a fifth of the total population have been displaced since the violence escalated [4], including many of the 1.5 million Syrian refugees who have been sheltering in Lebanon since conflict hit their country 13 years ago.
Maysa*, 28, a Syrian refugee who had been living in Lebanon with her husband and their two young children, and after fleeing the violence is now displaced in Syria, says:
“When the conflict broke out in Lebanon, it brought terror with it. We were terrified because of the sounds of bombardment and shelling, as we were living in a tent that any bullet could penetrate. We saw buildings being destroyed and heard the screams of people fleeing the bombing. We witnessed terrifying events and situations that we will never forget. We were forced to leave Lebanon and return to Syria.”
The displaced children and their families are arriving in a country that is reeling from 13 years of conflict and subsequent humanitarian and economic crises, and last year’s devastating earthquake that affected 38% of the population [5]. About 16.7 million people are in need of assistance in Syria, which is more than 72% of the population and the highest number since the beginning of the crisis in 2011. An estimated 45% of those in need are children [6].
Describing her current situation Maysa said:
“It is freezing at night and there is nothing to keep my children warm. My son became sick from the cold, he got flu and inflammation all over his body. We have little food left. I am always worried about securing food and clothes for my children.”
Rasha Muhrez, Director of Save the Children’s Syria Response said:
“Many of these children and families arriving in Syria from Lebanon made that same journey in the other direction several years ago, fleeing conflict and hoping for safety in Lebanon. They arrive in a Syria where humanitarian conditions have never been worse. The cost of food has nearly doubled since last year, and the minimum wage only covers 16% of a basic food basket. At the same time, half a million children required life-saving treatment for acute malnutrition, which would have once been unthinkable in Syria.
Communities are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, and yet international support has all but trickled away. We need to see an urgent injection of funds that prioritises the needs and recovery of children and youth who have been newly displaced as well as the communities that are hosting them. Access to education and support for children’s mental health and wellbeing are key needs for children now, as well as investment in early recovery programming to safeguard their futures. Critically, the international community must put its full weight behind calls for a ceasefire and prevent further violence that is having such a devastating impact on the region.”
Save the Children and its partners are supporting people arriving from Lebanon through the distribution of blankets, food, water and other essential items.
Save the Children has been working in Syria since 2012, reaching over ten million people, including more than six million children. Save the Children’s programming combines emergency and life-saving interventions with early recovery activities that support the restoration of basic services, including child protection, education, emergency response, food security and livelihoods, water sanitation and hygiene as well as health and nutrition.
Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953, helping children survive, learn and stay safe. Since October 2023, we have scaled up our response in southern Lebanon, supporting Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian children and families displaced by the violence.
ENDS
*Name changed to protect anonymity
[1] 300,000 is based on children representing 58% of Syrian population, and 510,000 people fleeing from Lebanon to Syria: Joint Statement by UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Ramanathan Balakrishnan On the Lack of Funding in Syria [EN/AR] – Syrian Arab Republic | ReliefWeb
[2] According to OCHA the population of Lebanon is 5.7 million Lebanon | OCHA (unocha.org)
[4] UNHCR Lebanon Emergency, One-Month Impact Report (October 2024) – Lebanon | ReliefWeb
[6] Calculation from the 8.8 million affected by the February 2023 earthquake according to this OCHA report: Flash Appeal: Syrian Arab Republic Earthquake (February – May 2023) [EN/AR] – Syrian Arab Republic | ReliefWeb against the total population of 23.46 million as per the OCHA Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Needs Overview, February 2024.
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