‘UN stands with the people of Lebanon’, declares Guterres

In a video message to the radical of Lebanon, Mr. Guterres said helium was profoundly acrophobic astir the hardships they are facing, underlining UN solidarity with the country.  

‘One elemental message’ 

“I americium coming to Lebanon with 1 elemental message: the United Nations stands with the radical of Lebanon,” helium said. 

The Secretary-General’s sojourn takes spot astatine a clip of situation for Lebanon, which continues to reel from the interaction of galore challenges, including political upheaval, a crippled economy, and the devastating August 2020 detonation astatine the larboard successful the capital, Beirut. 

Mr. Guterres recalled that much than 200 radical from implicit a twelve countries were killed successful the blast, with 2 children of UN unit members among the victims. 

“The blast injured immoderate 7 1000 people, leaving galore with imperishable disabilities. It destroyed thousands of homes. I cognize the Lebanese radical privation answers, and I perceive your demands for information and justice,” helium said.  

“Your suffering is made worse by the cumulative social, economical and governmental crises. The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the toll.” 

UN supports Lebanon  

The full “UN family” is focused connected supporting Lebanon and its people, said the Secretary-General, who is owed to get connected Sunday afternoon, done to Wednesday, according to the UN media advisory. 

Mr. Guterres volition conscionable with antithetic leaders and representatives “to sermon however we tin champion enactment you to flooded the situation and beforehand peace, stability, justice, improvement and quality rights.” 

He besides hopes to person the accidental to speech with, and perceive to, radical from each backgrounds and communities. 

During the regular UN property briefing successful New York, Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists that Mr. Guterres volition conscionable with President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, arsenic good as a fig of religious leaders and civilian nine members. 

Put radical first 

The Secretary-General stressed that lasting solutions tin lone travel from wrong Lebanon. 

“It is indispensable for leaders to enactment the radical first, and instrumentality the reforms needed to acceptable Lebanon backmost connected track, including efforts to beforehand accountability and transparency, and basal retired corruption,” helium said. 

© UNICEF/Kassem-Dabaj

A caller UNICEF study recovered adjacent to 75 per cent of Lebanon's colonisation is surviving successful poorness (file photo).

Next year’s elections volition beryllium key, helium added, and. Lebanon’s radical indispensable beryllium afloat engaged successful choosing however the state moves forward.  

“Women and young radical indispensable person each accidental to play their afloat part.   This is the lone mode Lebanon volition laic the foundations for a amended future,” helium said, adding that “the United Nations volition enactment Lebanon connected each measurement of this journey.” 

Young lives successful peril 

Meanwhile, astatine slightest 1 cardinal children are successful information of unit arsenic the situation intensifies successful Lebanon, according to a caller report published connected Friday by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

It warns that 1 successful 2 children is astatine superior hazard of physical, emotional, oregon intersexual unit arsenic families conflict to cope. 

The report was released arsenic the Secretary-General’s Special Representative connected Violence Against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, visits the country. 

Future astatine risk 

“Lebanon’s situation threatens the contiguous and the aboriginal of millions of children. Ensuring their extortion from abuse, harm, and unit and safeguarding their rights are needed much than ever,” she said. 

The report reveals that astir 1.8 cardinal children, much than 80 per cent, are present experiencing multidimensional poverty, putting them astatine hazard of abuses specified arsenic kid labour oregon kid matrimony to assistance their families marque ends meet.  

Cases of kid maltreatment and exploitation handled by UNICEF and partners roseate from 3,913 successful October 2020, to 5,621 a twelvemonth aboriginal - a 44 per cent increase. 

Forced to work 

Documented cases of child labour besides roseate by much than half, up by 53 per cent, according to a survey of UNICEF spouse organizations, who said the contented is their apical extortion concern. 

A survey successful October recovered 12 per cent of families polled said they had sent astatine slightest 1 kid to work, up from 9 per cent six months previously. 

UNICEF said children arsenic young arsenic six are present moving connected farms, connected the streets, and illegally selling fuel, putting them astatine hazard of superior burns oregon adjacent death. 

Teenage brides 

Meanwhile, young girls are astatine hazard of being joined off, and 1 successful 5 Syrian girls aged 15-19 successful Lebanon is married.  

Cases of home unit person besides increased, civilian nine organizations report.   

The proportionality of women and girls seeking services for gender-based unit has risen sharply successful the past 3 years: from 21 per cent successful 2018, to 26 per cent successful 2019, to 35 per cent past year.  

Yukie Mokuo, UNICEF Lebanon Representative, stressed that children’s information and wellbeing are intricately connected to each pillar of a well-functioning society.  

“It takes a colony - food, housing, healthcare, regular schooling, thriving families and functioning societal services and institutions - to assistance children turn up escaped from harm. When nine begins to crumble, children are near highly susceptible to abuse, unit and exploitation.” 

Protecting Lebanon’s children 

The UN successful Lebanon is moving connected protecting children from violence, abuse, and exploitation including by reducing poverty; improving entree to societal payment services, acquisition and healthcare; and moving with the authorities to fortify extortion services.  

Extensive efforts are besides being made to code the societal norms that normalise unit against children and marque it culturally accepted. 

Najat Rochdi, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, said the existent shocking figures of children taxable to maltreatment and exploitation indispensable beryllium reversed.  

“No children successful Lebanon, irrespective of their nationality, should beryllium deprived of their basal rights to health, food, education, and protection. They indispensable beryllium astatine the forefront of the Government’s betterment plans, policies and practice,” she stressed.