Lebanon's children bear deep physical and psychological scars from ongoing war

June 8, 2026 - 18:39

BEIRUT -- The war between Israel and Hezbollah has inflicted severe physical and psychological wounds on Lebanon's children, with experts warning that the trauma could last for generations. As airstrikes and shelling continue to devastate neighborhoods across the country, young survivors are showing signs of extreme distress, including nightmares, bedwetting, withdrawal, and aggressive behavior.

Doctors and aid workers report that children in bombed-out areas are being treated for shrapnel injuries, burns, and crush wounds from collapsed buildings. But the invisible damage is just as alarming. Many children have lost parents, siblings, or friends. Others have been displaced multiple times, forced to flee their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Psychologists say the constant threat of violence has shattered the basic sense of safety that children need for healthy development. In shelters and temporary camps, kids often sit in silence, staring blankly, or break into sudden fits of crying. Some refuse to speak at all. Others have stopped playing, a key sign of emotional shutdown.

The United Nations has documented a sharp rise in child casualties, with hundreds killed or maimed since the escalation began. Schools and hospitals have also been hit, disrupting education and medical care. Aid groups are scrambling to provide mental health support, but resources are thin. Many counselors are themselves traumatized by the war.

Without intervention, experts say, these children risk growing into adults burdened by unresolved grief, anxiety, and anger. The war is not just destroying buildings and lives today. It is shaping the minds of an entire generation.