External Statement: Supporting Children’s Mental Health in Lebanon with thanks to The Big Heart Foundation

External Statement: Supporting Children’s Mental Health in Lebanon with thanks to The Big Heart Foundation

Following the catastrophic port explosion in Lebanon on August 4th, 2020, and its aftermath, The Big Heart Foundation generously supported Save the Children to launch a project aimed at ensuring children impacted by the blast were protected and had access to learning, development, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).

The project supported children and youth with MHPSS sessions as well as the provision of emergency cash assistance, and case management. The primary purpose of the cash provided was to cover basic needs and transportation costs for children who had experienced severe neglect and were suffering from malnutrition. It also covered safety kits for children involved in child labour.

With the support of The Big Heart Foundation, Save the Children also implemented a child resilience programme targeting 101 girls and boys aimed at enhancing their self-confidence and helping them acquire skills to deal with further challenges and recover from past experiences.

Parents and caregivers were supported through emotional support sessions, which helped them reduce levels of stress and tension, exchange experiences and ideas on how to deal with feelings resulting from emergencies and crises, and to think about positive coping mechanisms for psychological and social distress.

Throughout the period of the project, 630 girls and boys received assistance. Half of these were involved in child labour, of which 46% were also experiencing physical and emotional abuse. 69% of all the children targeted were experiencing psychosocial distress.

The project shows that holistic interventions, with various teams and sectors working together, ensures successful outcomes for children and their families. As Lebanon continues to grapple with a multi-layered crisis, Save the Children – together with our valued partners such as The Big Heart Foundation – will continue to prioritise reaching the children who need us the most.

The project, and the support provided to children and their families, would not have been possible without the generous support from The Big Heart Foundation. We are very grateful to them and we look forward to continuing our transformational partnership for the future generation of Lebanon.