Beirut, March 15 : Lebanon's Health Ministry, in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), launched an initiative to provide comprehensive healthcare and protection services for war-affected children.

The initiative will be jointly implemented with the International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance and the Ghassan Abu Sittah Children's Fund, Xinhua news agency reported quoting UNICEF's statement.

The program aims to support children affected by the recent war in Lebanon, offering a range of services such as surgical procedures, psychological follow-up, physiotherapy, and reconstructive surgery, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

In its first phase, the program plans to provide care for 300 children, including 75 surgeries, a source from UNICEF Lebanon's communication department told Xinhua.

Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nasreddine has described the initiative as a vital step in the country's efforts to support war-affected children to rebuild their future.

Ettie Higgins, UNICEF's deputy representative to Lebanon, said, "We cannot allow these children to be forgotten. They have already lost too many family members, homes, and their sense of security. Through this lifeline program, it is our collective responsibility to ensure they do not lose their future."

According to the UNICEF statement, the war between Hezbollah and Israel, which began in October 2023 and escalated in September 2024, has had a devastating impact on children across the country.

As of December last year, the Health Ministry reported over 316 child deaths, adding nearly 1,500 other children got injured. It noted that many of them suffered severe injuries such as burns, fractures, and limb loss and are in desperate need of specialised medical care, rehabilitation, and psychological support.

/IANS