Amel Association International is pleased to announce the publication of its 2024 Socio-Demographic Report, presenting the achievements of the Mobile Protection Unit (MPU) and providing critical insights into the profiles and living conditions of street-connected children, young people and their families in Beirut and its southern suburbs.
Implemented by Amel Association International in partnership with Samusocial International since 2017, the MPU provides vulnerable children and families with direct, comprehensive medical, social and psychological support. Its multidisciplinary teams reach people where they live and work, including in streets, informal settlements and homes, and connect them with services tailored to their needs.
During 2024, the MPU’s two teams assisted 1,250 people, of whom 78% were children. The teams conducted 237 outreach rounds, delivered 7,555 medical and social interventions, made 677 referrals to Amel health centres and partner organisations, and organised 1,178 awareness sessions on personal hygiene, breastfeeding, malnutrition, child safety, stress management and coping with trauma.
The report reveals the severe and interconnected challenges faced by street-connected children:
- 75% of the children surveyed were engaged in income-generating activities.
- Among working children, 50% collected waste or plastic, 23% were involved in begging and 16% in informal street vending.
- 58% of people aged six and above had never attended school.
- 96% of families depended primarily on unstable daily income.
- 68% lived in temporary or extremely precarious accommodation.
- Syrian nationals represented 91% of those assisted, while the proportion of Lebanese people reached increased from 3% in 2023 to 7% in 2024.
- Women and girls accounted for 42% of the people assisted, reflecting both their growing presence in public spaces because of worsening economic conditions and the MPU’s strengthened capacity to identify gender-specific vulnerabilities.
The findings underline how economic deterioration is pushing increasing numbers of children—and, progressively, women and adolescent girls—into informal and potentially dangerous work. Children are exposed to exploitation, violence, health hazards, educational exclusion and gender-based violence, while their families struggle with unstable incomes, inadequate housing and limited access to essential services.
The escalation of hostilities in Lebanon between September and November 2024 further intensified these vulnerabilities. Many displaced Lebanese and Syrian families found themselves living in the streets or informal shelters, while children experienced increased exposure to violence, displacement, psychological distress and disruption of healthcare and education. In response, the MPU adapted its outreach activities, distributed clothing and water, facilitated access to Amel’s health centres and provided psychosocial assistance and awareness sessions.
Street-connected children and their families remain among the most vulnerable and least visible groups in Lebanon. Through this report, Amel Association International seeks to bring greater attention to their realities, improve understanding of their needs and encourage coordinated, rights-based responses that place their protection, dignity and well-being at the centre.
Amel Association International extends its sincere appreciation to the MPU team for its sustained humanitarian commitment and frontline work, as well as to the communications team for its creativity and continued support.
The French edition of the report is now available. English and Arabic editions will be published soon.
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