Beirut, 13 December 2024--The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and Lebanon's Women and Children Parliamentary Committee today warned against the severe strain placed on Lebanon's care economy by the ongoing war. The new policy brief titled "Restoring care, rebuilding communities: path to recovery for Lebanon", which addresses immediate humanitarian needs to the country's health, education, and social care systems, urges a transformative shift in priorities-placing caregiving at the heart of social stability and economic recovery.
According to the brief, up till October, the war had killed 2,546 people, including 127 children, injured 10,698, and displaced over 1.5 million individuals, including 400,000 children. Amid this devastation, 13 hospitals have been destroyed and 100 primary health-care centres have closed, leaving countless families without essential services. Overcrowded shelters-908 of the 1,095 available operating at full capacity-have compounded health risks and worsened the care crisis.
"The conflict has laid bare systemic vulnerabilities in Lebanon's care infrastructure," said ESCWA Social Affairs Officer and author of the brief Rouba Arja. "Essential services are collapsing. Women-who provide 94% of unpaid childcare-are shouldering ever-increasing responsibilities due to school closures, displacement, and surging health care demands, often without adequate support or resources."
The brief underscores that Lebanon's care economy has reached a breaking point, with women's unpaid responsibilities intensifying, mental and emotional strain on caregivers mounting, and children's education and development severely compromised. "Without comprehensive and immediate support, we risk pushing an entire generation of caregivers and care recipients closer to economic despair," Arja added.
The brief recommends a holistic approach that includes rebuilding and expanding care infrastructure and integrating care needs into national recovery strategies; providing targeted financial, mental health, and employment support to women and unpaid caregivers; strengthening social protection for displaced persons by deploying mobile health and psychological care units; and investing in the care economy to foster women's empowerment, boost employment in the care sector, and ensure sustainable growth and resilience.
The brief provides an evidence-based blueprint for policymakers, humanitarian agencies, and development partners to anchor care at the heart of Lebanon's recovery efforts.
