No Lost Generation Lebabon: Wellbeing of Syrian children in Lebanon

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

Around 13 million people are displaced due to Syrian crisis. Lebanon is hosting the highest load of Syrian refugees compared to its size. The country of six million habitants host some 1.5 million Syrian refugees. Of them some 630 000 are children and youth between 3-18 years. In addition, there are hundreds of thousands Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and around third of its own population live below the poverty line. The No Lost Generation (NLG) initiative is a regional strategy to mobilise funding to improve the wellbeing of the suffering of the millions of children who suffer due to the Syrian crisis. An estimated six million children in the region are at risk of being left without education and exposed to violence. The Finnish-funded UNICEF NLG project in Lebanon focuses on the most vulnerable children and youth. The beneficiaries include both Syrian refugee children as well as host community children who belong to the most vulnerable groups. The previous NLG implementation has brought an important lesson that the most effective way to increase vulnerable children's enrolment in basic education and to prevent violence against children is to address their wellbeing in a comprehensive manner. Therefore, this additional funding of Finland focuses on children's wellbeing by addressing their needs comprehensively both through child protection services and social benefits, as well as through provision of learning opportunities. Altogether some 8 000 out-of-learning children will receive basic learning opportunities, child protection services, and/or vocational training or life-skills training opportunities. The implementation of the project also contributes directly to Lebanon’s national RACE II plan (Reaching All Children with Education, 2017-2021). The aim of the plan is to provide all Lebanese and refugee school-aged children with access to quality learning opportunities in safe and protective environments. The Finnish funding contributes also to UNICEF Lebanon’s wider work on Lebanon's education sector development under the Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan (3RP). Finland has been previously funding the UNICEF NLG components in Lebanon (5 M€ in 2014), Turkey (2.5 M€ in 2015), as well as Jordan and Syria (5 M€ in 2016). The new funding decision of 3.7 M€ is additional funding to UNICEF Lebanon NLG project, continuing Finland’s funding to Lebanon’s education sector and child protection provision.