BEIRUT : In a statement issued today, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) highlighted findings from a new report titled ‘The Socioeconomic Impacts of the 2024 War on Lebanon’.

The report, prepared by several UN agencies, examines the far-reaching consequences of the conflict that began in October 2023 and intensified in September 2024.

According to the report, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced, while approximately 64,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed. The conflict has also disrupted education for hundreds of thousands of students, compounding Lebanon’s already strained public services.

The economic impact is equally alarming. Around 15 percent of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, which make up 90 percent of Lebanon’s economy, have permanently closed, while 75 percent suspended operations during the war. Nearly 30 percent of businesses reported losing their entire workforce.

Lebanon’s economy has contracted by 38 percent between 2019 and 2024, and the country’s Human Development Index has dropped to levels last seen in 2010, representing a 14-year decline due to the multidimensional crisis and war.

Blerta Aliko, UNDP Resident Representative in Lebanon, said in a press statement that “Lebanon is at a crossroads,” noting that this assessment was prepared to support the Lebanese government in setting priorities and formulating a national recovery plan.

Aliko explained that for this process to be sustainable and comprehensive, state institutions must be “strong and equipped to provide services.”

It is noteworthy that the report was issued by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organization, and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

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