Lebanon
Total population: 6 million
Total population under 18: 1.3 million
Children affected by conflict: 1.1 million
Number of War Child projects in 2017: Six
Number of implementing partner organisations: 27
Number of partners providing funding: Seven
Total child participants: 28,308 (18,063 girls and 10,245 boys)
Total adult participants: 6,931 (2,660 women and 4,271 men)
Why We’re There
Lebanon has experienced a massive influx of refugees in recent years. The country is currently home to approximately 1.1 million registered refugees from Syria - nearly half of whom are children and adolescents. The 174,422 Palestinian refugees inside Lebanon - representing approximately three per cent of the population - mainly reside in the country’s 12 refugee camps. This significant population increase has had a negative effect on the country’s already weak infrastructure.
Children in Lebanon from all communities grow up in a climate of insecurity. At least 1.4 million children are classified as ‘at risk’ of threats including physical violence and separation from family. Many refugee families are denied full legal status - leaving their children vulnerable to child labour, early marriage and smuggling to help provide for their families.
Refugee children - from both Syrian and Palestinian communities - inside Lebanon also face significant barriers to accessing education. An estimated 377,000 Syrian refugee children are currently excluded from formal and non-formal education programmes. International NGOs are working with national education authorities to address this situation.
What We Do
War Child Holland in Lebanon has been actively responding to the Syria emergency crisis since early 2012. War Child is a member of the psychosocial working group in Lebanon and provides protection and psychosocial support services to Syrian children. Our services are also accessed by significant numbers of children and young people from both the Palestinian refugee and Lebanese host communities.
War Child works to reach as many people as possible through its programming - including parents and other important adults in children’s lives. In our network of Safe Spaces, children can begin to recover from the experience of their displacement and access support to boost their psychosocial wellbeing.
Our Projects
Time to Be a Child:
Project to set up a network of Safe Spaces where vulnerable children can play, learn and develop in peaceful environments.
Back to the Future:
Major consortium-led education initiative for refugee children affected by the crisis in Syria.
Sports and Humanitarian Assistance (SaHA) 2:
Coalition project utilising soccer to bring children and young people from Lebanon's different communities together.
Can’t Wait to Learn:
Global programme to provide conflict-affected children with quality education - no matter where they live. Children play curriculum-based educational games on tablets to learn in an effective and fun way.
Caregiver Support Intervention:
Project to strengthen parental wellbeing and enhance parenting skills to improve the psychosocial wellbeing of Syrian refugee children.
Child Friendly Spaces:
Protectioninitiative to provide safe spaces where children can access psychosocial support and participate in recreational activities.
Supporting Vulnerable Girls and Boys to Access Education:
Initiative to provide 2,500 disadvantaged children under the age of five with early childhood education (ECE) opportunities.