World
Conflict in Lebanon: Children left withdrawn, anxious and confused after being caught up in the violence
What the children of Lebanon have seen and what they have heard as the conflict rages between Hezbollah and Israel will not be easily forgotten. It will be generational.
More than 400,000 children have been displaced from their homes amid the latest fighting, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Many have had to flee not just once, but sometimes two, three, even four times.
Latest updates from Middle East as fighting rages
Hundreds have been injured as the conflict has escalated in recent weeks with airstrikes, despite what Israel says is the “precise targeting” of Hezbollah leaders and infrastructure.
The most common injuries reportedly recorded among youngsters include concussions and traumatic brain injuries from the impact of blasts, shrapnel wounds and limb injuries, said UNICEF. Hearing loss caused by explosions is also common.
In the last year at least 127 children have been killed, with more than 100 of these deaths occurring in the past week or so, according to UNICEF, citing the Lebanese ministry of public health.
The impact on children’s health, their mental health, is profound.
In a shelter we visited in central Beirut, we saw children who are withdrawn, anxious and confused.
Children like 13-year-old Nour and 10-year-old Fadel.
Nour, 13, witnessed explosions in her neighbourhood
Ten-year-old Fadel (pictured) and Nour are being helped by community health experts
Both witnessed explosions in their neighbourhoods, both have fled through panicked streets with their families and both are now being helped by community health leader Denise Nemer.
The youngsters told us their stories.
Nour said “there was so much bombing in the area around them”, they were forced to flee and “there was so much traffic because everyone left at the same time”.
Fadel said he was present when a strike happened and he was “terrified”.
He said he and his family ran out of a building and tried to find a place “that has no buildings so the buildings don’t fall over our heads”.
We watched Denise talking to them and helping them try to make sense of the upheaval in their lives. But it is not easy.
She said many of the children will need long-term psychological support.
They have trouble sleeping, they find it difficult to concentrate on studies or recreational activities and many are showing signs of acute anxiety.
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Community health leader Denise Nemer
Ettie Higgins, UNICEF’s deputy representative in Lebanon, told me: “We have seen generations of trauma in Lebanon and we are seeing it again.
“We have a huge number of children who are fleeing from different parts of the country arriving in Beirut extremely traumatised.
“Children are seeing passenger planes overhead and are putting their hands over their heads because they think they are going to be bombed by those planes and they’re running inside.”
These children have found a place of relative safety at their shelter
But in one sense Nour and Fadel are perhaps fortunate. They have found a place of relative safety, although some windows at their shelter were blown out a few nights ago by an explosion nearby.
And they have Denise to spend time with them.
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But the truth is there are so many children here in need of similar help but they are unlikely to get it in a country where medical resources are already hopelessly stretched.
Ms Higgins told me the stark reality here: “We need long-term support for a lot of these children, and we do not have the resources for it at this time.”