Beirut: An average of 19,000 children have been displaced every day in Lebanon over the past three weeks amid ongoing Israeli strikes, a UNICEF official said Friday. "In just three weeks, more than 370,000 children have been forced out of their homes in Lebanon, an average of at least 19,000 girls and boys displaced every single day," said Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF representative in Lebanon, during a UN briefing in Geneva.
According to Anadolu Agency, Corsi explained that the displacement is equivalent to "hundreds of school buses filled with children fleeing for their lives every 24 hours." The crisis has displaced roughly 20% of Lebanon's population in less than a month, with more than one million people uprooted. Corsi described a "sudden, chaotic mass displacement" that is "tearing families apart and hollowing out entire communities," warning of severe psychological consequences for children caught in repeated cycles of violence.
Corsi highlighted the deteriorating living conditions, noting that more than 135,000 displaced people are sheltering in over 660 sites, many of which are overcrowded and unsafe. He reported that at least 121 children have been killed and 395 injured. Basic services are collapsing, with water systems damaged and over 435 schools now repurposed as shelters, disrupting education for more than 115,000 students. Corsi called for "an immediate ceasefire" and urgent humanitarian access, stressing that children are paying the highest price for the conflict.
The UN refugee agency also expressed concerns, stating that people in Lebanon no longer feel safe, even in displacement. UNHCR representative in Lebanon, Karolina Lindholm Billing, stressed the psychological toll on families, particularly children, saying it will last "far beyond the current conflict." She noted that the destruction of key bridges in the south has cut off entire districts, isolating over 150,000 people and "severely limiting humanitarian access." Billing warned of the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe as needs are "rising faster than resources."
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) spokesperson called on the international community and donors to act as needs are growing in Lebanon. Tommaso Della Longa emphasized the high level of risk facing volunteers, particularly during nighttime missions, and the loss of one volunteer during ambulance missions. He underlined the importance of sustaining the response, addressing both immediate needs and the longer-term sustainability of operations. IFRC's support is "critical" to maintaining ambulance services, health services including Mobile Medical Units, blood supplies for hospitals, and relief assistance for displaced families.