We arrived in Lebanon in 1953 and we’ve been there ever since, tackling problems in education, child protection, livelihoods and shelter.
One year since conflict escalated in Lebanon, children are still rebuilding their lives. When war broke out in September 2024, families across Lebanon fled their homes, seeking safety wherever they could find it. Parents like Khadijah, a 50-year-old Lebanese mother, described the moment everything changed.
"When the war started in September 2024, it was the first time my children had ever experienced anything like that," Khadijah recalls. "It was the first time we were forced to flee our home. We had never run for our lives before. We had never left everything behind, not knowing if we would ever return."
When the ceasefire was announced in November, families hoped to return home immediately. But the reality was devastating. "The moment the ceasefire was announced in November, we went straight home," says Khadijah. "But our house was damaged by nearby bombing. We tried to fix what we could, but we were nearly broke. My husband hadn't worked in three months, and whatever savings we had went to rent and basic needs. With winter approaching, every day is a struggle."
For Layla, a 40-year-old widowed mother of three from southern Lebanon, the war took too much. "The war took our home, our safety, our sense of normal. It took loved ones. And yet, despite everything, we're still here. We're still a family. That's something the war couldn't take from us."
The emotional toll on children has been immense. "As a parent, I wanted to shield my children from all of it," says Khadijah. "But the truth is, I could barely handle it myself. So how could they? We're trying to get back on our feet, but it's not easy. My children are the ones suffering the most, even though they try to hide it. All they wanted was to go home and sleep in their own rooms, even if the windows were shattered and everything was nearly ruined."
With the support of Humanitarian Coalition Canada, Save the Children in Lebanon is providing winterization and hygiene kits to families in Baalbak, Eastern Lebanon, who have been displaced due to the Lebanon-Israel Conflict. This assistance is crucial in helping families stay warm, protected, and maintain basic hygiene during the harsh winter months.
How Save the Children responded
Save the Children mobilised immediately when conflict escalated in September 2024. Over the past year, we've reached 311,069 people across Lebanon - including 131,107 children - with life-saving support and services to help families recover.
Our response focused on the areas where need was greatest. We reached 241,853 people (78%) in South Lebanon, where communities faced the most intense conflict, along with 41,422 people (13%) in the Bekaa Valley and 27,794 people (9%) in North Lebanon.
Supporting children's mental health and protection
The psychological scars of conflict run deep. Through our child protection programmes, we've provided mental health and psychosocial support to 2,791 children and 998 adults. In safe spaces across Lebanon, children who experienced trauma can play, express themselves and begin healing through activities designed by trained staff.
When schools reopened, we welcomed children back with special programmes to help them reconnect with friends and ease into learning again.
Ensuring access to clean water and sanitation
Access to clean water became critical during displacement and as families returned to damaged communities. We've reached 154,217 people - including 60,411 children and 93,806 adults - with water, sanitation and hygiene support. This includes distributing hygiene kits, repairing water systems and ensuring families in shelters and temporary accommodation have safe sanitation facilities.
Meeting basic needs with food and nutrition
Families who lost income during months of displacement struggled to afford even basic necessities. We've supported 77,274 people - 27,904 children and 49,370 adults - with food security assistance to help families meet their immediate needs while working to rebuild their lives.
Through nutrition programmes, we've reached an additional 26,500 people (10,335 children and 16,165 adults) to address malnutrition and ensure children receive essential nutrients during this critical recovery period.
Keeping education going
For the sixth consecutive year, Lebanon's children have seen their education interrupted. We've reached 20,048 people - including 17,495 children and 2,553 adults - with educational support. This includes providing learning materials, supporting teachers and creating opportunities for children to continue learning even when formal schooling was disrupted.
Providing shelter and essential items
When families fled with nothing or returned to damaged homes, basic items became urgent necessities. We've provided 29,241 people - including 12,171 children and 17,070 adults - with shelter support and essential items such as mattresses, blankets and household supplies.
Why continued support matters
One year after conflict escalated, the recovery is far from over. Children who witnessed violence, lost loved ones or spent months displaced need ongoing support to heal and rebuild. Families returning to damaged homes need help repairing what was lost and restoring their livelihoods.
But children are resilient when given the right support. Every safe space we create, every classroom we help reopen and every family we support brings Lebanon's children one step closer to the futures they deserve.
Save the Children has worked in Lebanon since 1953. We're committed to supporting Lebanese children through this crisis and beyond, working alongside communities and local partners to build a more stable future.
Updated as of February 2026 - Data reflects Save the Children's response from September 2024 to September 2025
Students gather during a back-to-school event in a school in South Lebanon. Save the Children, with support from Dubai Cares, is leading activities that help children ease into the new academic year, reconnect with their classmates, and feel confident as they return to the classroom.
Beirut Explosion
In August 2020, a huge explosion in the Lebanese capital devastated homes and communities. 188 people died and tens of thousands of children found themselves homeless.
The blast and the chaos that followed were terrifying, but we immediately provided psychological first aid to help children process their feelings. And we created 140 child friendly spaces across the city so children could escape through play.
Our partners helped to distribute hot meals to families whose homes had been destroyed. And we provided debris removal kits to the Lebanese Red Cross who were clearing the rubble.
Lama*, 11, stands in the kitchen at her family home which was damaged in the Beirut explosion. The family received psychological support following the blast and cash assistance to help them put food on the table. “I don’t mind eating whatever my mother prepares for lunch as long it is not eggplant.” Photo credit: Walid Khoury
