Generation of children ‘at stake’ in Lebanon crisis

Beirut: The UN children’s agency Tuesday called on Lebanon to take urgent action to protect children after it documented a spike in child labour rates and food insecurity since April.

"Urgent action is needed to ensure no child goes hungry, becomes sick, or has to work rather than receive an education," said Yukie Mokuo, Uicef representative in Lebanon. "The staggering magnitude of the crisis must be a wake-up call," she said, quoted in a statement.

Lebanon is grappling with its worst-ever financial crisis, with nearly 80 percent of the population estimated to be living below the poverty line. Uicef in October followed up with the more than 800 families it had surveyed in April and found that since then living conditions had deteriorated dramatically.