World Vision New Zealand is calling for urgent
international action as renewed conflict in Lebanon has
forced more than 94,000 people, including thousands of
children, from their homes.
The surge in hostilities
has centred on southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and
Beirut’s southern suburbs, with more than 12,000 families
displaced, and numbers rising every day.
World Vision
warns that more than one million children already in need of
humanitarian assistance in Lebanon are now at even greater
risk.
World Vision New Zealand Country Programme
Manager, Andy Robinson, says the images emerging from
Lebanon are devastating, but New Zealanders can
help.
“Thousands of children in Lebanon have been
forced to flee their homes in a very short space of time,
and are facing an uncertain future, currently living in
over-crowded collective shelters.
“The sound of
rockets and missile explosions has become part of their
childhood, which should never be normal. New Zealanders
should not accept this as normal either. It’s a really
scary time. Right now, World Vision and other NGOs are
working around the clock to support vulnerable children and
families, but we urgently need more support to reach all of
those who need our help.”
Robinson says World Vision’s
teams in Lebanon responded within hours of this week’s
escalation in violence, delivering hot meals and
ready-to-eat food to more than 36,000 displaced people
living in collective shelters.He says the organisation is
also adapting its school nutrition programme to ensure
children sheltering in emergency centres have enough to
eat.
Children bearing the heaviest
burden
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
World Vision warns that children caught in the
crisis face compounding harms, including psychological
trauma, disrupted schooling, family separation, and
deteriorating living conditions.
Many have already
lived through multiple rounds of conflict, and Lebanon’s
decade-long economic collapse has stripped away what little
safety net remained.
Families are crowding into
collective shelters where overcrowding and instability are
taking a further toll on children’s mental health and sense
of security.
Robinson says needs are rapidly outpacing
capacity.
“All children deserve to grow up in a
community shaped by peace, not conflict. We urgently call on
all parties to protect children and civilians and to prevent
further harm to their safety, wellbeing and
future.”
World Vision New Zealand is scaling up its
emergency response in Lebanon and is calling on the New
Zealanders to help support children affected by this current
spike in violence.
Funds will support food assistance,
safe spaces, psychosocial support, and access to education
for displaced children. To donate or for more information,
visit worldvision.org.nz
World
Vision has worked in Lebanon for more than
50 years, delivering humanitarian
assistance and development programmes for vulnerable
children and families.
Its work includes
emergency food support, education, child protection,
clean water, healthcare and psychosocial services
in some of the country’s most fragile
communities.
