SA国际传媒

By SA国际传媒 staff writer

It鈥檚 been 100 days since a massive explosion tore through the port of Beirut, leaving death and destruction in its wake.

Crucial support

A new report published on Wednesday by the UN children鈥檚 agency UNICEF warns that many children and families still remain in need of 鈥渃rucial support鈥� months on from the disaster.

Entitled 鈥淩ising from Destruction. 100 days of UNICEF鈥檚 response to the Beirut explosions and the road ahead for children and families,鈥� the findings paint a distressing picture.

Trauma of explosion

The report highlights that many children have been affected by trauma both during and after the explosions, and the charity is working to provide parents, primary caregivers and kids with psychosocial support.

Twelve-year-old Hussein is just one of the children who has received this kind of help.

 鈥淚 stopped using colour on my drawings that show my life because everything changed on that day,鈥� he said.

Hussein lives in the city鈥檚 Karantina neighbourhood which was one of the worst affected. Now ten weeks on from the disaster, Hussein and many children like him are learning to smile again. 鈥淭he colour is back in my life again,鈥� he said.

Healing wounds

According to UNICEF Lebanon Representative Yukie Mokuo, 鈥淲hile the immediate scars are starting to heal, thanks to extraordinary efforts on the ground, the deep wounds 鈥� both visible and invisible - of children and families in a country experiencing multiple emergencies will require sustained solidarity, commitment and support.鈥�

Over the last several weeks, UNICEF and its partners have provided over 22,000 children under age five with essential nutrition supplements, including Vitamin A, high energy biscuits and emergency food rations.

It has also re-established water supply connection in 1,060 buildings, reaching thousands of people, and water tanks have been installed in three heavily affected hospitals.

Although much work has been done to alleviate suffering, the children鈥檚 agency stresses that the 鈥渟heer number of children, parents, and caregivers who remain in need of support, however, means that increased funding for key programmes, including child protection, is urgently required.鈥�