Children in Lebanon are frightened by loud noises and drones, cling to caregivers and fear being forced to flee again, mothers told the IRC.
Caregivers are children's main source of safety, and repeated displacement, economic hardship and isolation are compounding their own distress.
Mental health and psychosocial support must be funded as part of recovery, continue after displacement and support caregivers alongside their children.
Beirut, Lebanon, October 10, 2026 — Children and caregivers across Lebanon are still struggling with the psychological effects of conflict and displacement, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned on World Mental Health Day. An estimated 770,000 children in Lebanon have suffered psychological distress over the past six months.
IRC analysis and interviews with 10 mothers of children aged 0-8 displaced to collective shelters, rented apartments and relatives’ homes show that fear and insecurity continue to shape children’s daily lives. Mothers described children who are frightened by loud noises and drones, cling to their caregivers, struggle to sleep without the lights on and fear being forced to flee again. One mother of children aged 4 and 6 said: “My children are not playing with other kids. They just watch them from afar. They are constantly scared.” Another described how her 6-year-old reacts to loud noises: “She tells me to pack, they are bombing.”
“Children do not simply leave the conflict behind when they leave a shelter or return home, the psychological consequences last much longer,” said Benoit Delsarte, IRC country director in Lebanon. “For some, a loud noise is still enough to bring back the fear of having to flee. Supporting the mental health of caregivers is one of the most direct ways we can help young children feel safe and begin to recover.”
Caregivers are often a child’s main source of safety and stability, and they are under significant strain themselves. Families the IRC supports say repeated displacement, economic hardship and the pressure of protecting children are compounding their distress. Mothers spoke of exhaustion, isolation and hiding their own fear to reassure their children. “I try to look strong in front of them,” said one mother of a 6-year-old. A mother of four recalled her time in displacement: “I was alone all the time, with no help whatsoever. I used to cry alone to avoid screaming.”
The mental health consequences of conflict do not end when the fighting stops. They can emerge months or years later and last long after families have left shelters or returned home. Lebanon’s mental health system was stretched before this latest escalation. It is estimated that half of the population has screened positive for depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder, and only about 70 psychiatrists are believed to remain the country. Lebanon’s National Mental Health Program expects demand to rise sharply as people emerge from survival mode and begin to process grief and trauma. On World Mental Health Day, the IRC calls for mental health and psychosocial support to be prioritized in recovery as well as in the emergency response. Services must continue after displacement, reach families wherever they are living and support caregivers alongside their children.
The IRC works with key partners including the Ministry of Public Health’s National Mental Health Program and has supported national services such as the suicide prevention and psychological support line, the Step-by-Step app, the Self-Help Plus podcast series and Mental Health in the Workplace. The IRC also scaled up support for the line’s Mobile Crisis Team, which delivers urgent psychological care to people who cannot reach health facilities. Additionally, through its support to primary health care centers, the IRC integrates mental health care into primary health services, with mobile medical clinics linked to these centers to reach people who cannot access them.
Between March and July 2026, the IRC and its partners supported more than 12,000 people with mental health and psychosocial support. Mental health remains one of the most underfunded areas of the humanitarian response. Donors must sustain this support beyond the emergency phase and invest in the programs families still need.
About the IRC
The International Rescue Committee responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC works in more than 40 countries and in 30 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities. Learn more at www.rescue.org and follow the IRC on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
