Lebanon’s crisis stretches families’ coping ability to breaking point: UNICEF

Lebanon’s crisis stretches families’ coping ability to breaking point: UNICEF

NNA -nbsp;Families in Lebanon are barely able to meet their most basic needs despite cutting down drastically on expenses according to a new survey by UNICEF. A growing number of families are having to resort to sending their children ndash; some as young as six years old - to work in a desperate effort to survive the socio-economic crisis engulfing the country.

The results of the survey paint a dramatic picture of the situation as the crisis continues to escalate for a fourth consecutive year, with devastating consequences for children.

ldquo;The compounding crises facing the children of Lebanon are creating an unbearable situation ndash; breaking their spirit, damaging their mental health and threatening to wipe out their hope for a better future,rdquo; said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEFrsquo;s Representative in Lebanon.

The report, based on UNICEFrsquo;s latest rapid assessment of childrenrsquo;s lives, shows that almost 9 in 10 households do not have enough money to buy essentials, forcing them to resort to extreme measures to cope with the crisis.

The report shows that:

Fifteen per cent of households stopped their childrenrsquo;s education, up from 10 per cent a year ago, and 52 per cent reduced spending on education, compared to 38 per cent a year ago.

Three-quarters of