Lebanon’s unprecedented economic crisis, exacerbated by the state of the world economy, has had a particularly devastating effect on the health of the country’s children, according to a report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund on Wednesday.
“The combination of a calamitous economic meltdown, COVID-19, and the aftermath of the 2020 Beirut explosions have left families struggling to cope amid rising poverty and spiraling inflation,” the report, titled “A Worsening Health Crisis for Children,” says.
“With 80% of the population living in poverty, many families cannot even afford the cost of transportation to take their children to a health care center, and many are no longer able to provide the food and nutrition their children need to survive and thrive,” Ettie Higgins, UNICEF’s representative in Lebanon, said in a statement released by the children’s agency.
The report notes that the economic crisis caused disruptions in the health sector, which was already plagued by a brain drain as medical professionals sought greater stability abroad, a hiring freeze to reduce expenses, and limitations on the import of medications and equipment. It also highlighted a 31% reduction in vaccination rates, which has left children vulnerable to potentially deadly diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and pneumonia.
“UNICEF reinforces its call to the Lebanese government and all stakeholders to scale up efforts to vaccinate all children against vaccine-preventable diseases, and to improve the nutritional well-being of children and women,” Higgins was quoted as saying in the statement.