Lebanon shocked by video of nursery employee hitting children

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Updated 11 July 2023
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Lebanon shocked by video of nursery employee hitting children

  • The mother of an 11-month-old baby girl said her daughter faces hysterical situations during her sleep and she suddenly cries”
  • This incident has highlighted issue of increased violence against women and children, with 10 Lebanese women allegedly killed by their estranged husbands recently

BEIRUT: A shocking video filmed by an employee at a nursery in Mount Lebanon, which shows a female member of staff physically abusing infants, sparked outrage when it circulated on social media on Monday night and has highlighted growing concerns about a recent increased in violence against women and children.

Authorities reacted by sealing off the Gardereve nursery, which is in the Jdeideh area, and arresting its 44-year-old manager and a 38-year-old employee.

The video shows a woman hitting a baby for refusing to eat. She is seen forcefully putting food into the child’s mouth and hitting his face in an attempt to make him swallow it. The baby is crying and spits out the food, and she repeats the process in an even more violent fashion. She is also seen hitting another child and calling youngsters “animals,” using profanity.

Arab News has learned that the person who shot the videos was responsible for the children’s hygiene, and sent the videos to the father of one of them. The children involved are all under the age of 3. The father called the other parents to his home and showed them the videos, and they reported the matter to the authorities.

The mother of an 11-month-old baby girl said her daughter “faces hysterical situations during her sleep and she suddenly cries. I didn’t know why until the reason was revealed today.”

The mother of another child said her son “lost the ability to speak and express himself after joining the nursery. It was revealed through the video that he was subjected to physical and psychological abuse by the owner of the nursery, who used to call him ‘deaf.’”

The Ministry of Health, which is responsible for nurseries, held an emergency meeting of the Child Protection Committee on Tuesday.

Health Minister Firas Abiad said his ministry “will follow up” on the matter and added: “We are in contact with the families of the abused children and we seek to prevent the recurrence of this bad treatment and absence of responsibility and trustworthiness.”

On social media, some people condemned the decision not to reveal the names of those accused of carrying out the abuse.

“They can serve as a lesson to others, and stress the need to impose the harshest penalties against them,” one person wrote.

There are growing concerns in Lebanon about recent increases in the number of crimes involving physical and psychological domestic violence, and the mistreatment, exploitation and sexual assault of children. It comes at a time when the country has been mired in a desperate financial crisis for four years.

Some activists on social media highlighted the case of Leen Taleb, a six-year-old girl who was raped and died last week as a result of bleeding. Her death shook the nation but no details have been revealed about the case or the suspects, other than the fact that there was a dispute between the girl’s divorced parents.

There were also recent reports from the Internal Security Forces that in the space of just 10 days, five young girls had failed to return home, sparking rumors that gangs were kidnapping children. However, the General Directorate of Security Forces later said “there are family reasons and some of them returned in good health.”

Nevertheless, experts warn that violent crimes against women and children, including murder, have increased in recent months. In many cases, the victims are women who had requested or obtained a divorce. Some of the killings happened outside of Lebanon.

Zoya Jreidini Rohana, the director of Kafa, a nonprofit organization that works to end violence and discrimination against women, told Arab News: “The organization has monitored, since the beginning of this year, 10 murders of married or divorced women, six cases of suicides of women, and three attempted murders.

“Whatever the motives, killings take place. The man controls the fate of the family and is assisted by the Personal Status Law, which gives him absolute power. The man’s masculine narcissism, when his wife asks for a divorce, controls him and pushes him to kill her.

“What increases this type of crime is impunity, either by escaping outside (Lebanon’s) borders or by not speeding up the trials, as the files remain in the judiciary for years.”

Recent female victims, since March, include Rokaya Halawi, 50, who was allegedly killed by her husband, Khalil Al-Hamoush, 70, with a hunting rifle in June. She had reportedly requested a divorce after decades of marital abuse.

Amira Mughniyeh, 30, a Lebanese women living in Sydney was found dead last week. Her husband Ahmed Hadraj, 39, has been charged with her murder. They recently divorced.

Rabih Francis, a member of the state security apparatus, reportedly shot his wife, Sahar, and her mother, Therese, in the Jezzine District last month before killing himself.

Maher H. allegedly shot and killed his ex-wife, Jumana, in the town of Qamatiyya in Mount Lebanon, amid a dispute over custody of their children.

Ragia Al-Akoum, from the town of Bsaba, died when her ex-husband allegedly stabbed her and ran over her with his car, in front of their children, days after they separated.

Hassan Musa Zaiter, 27, is accused of shooting dead his wife, Zainab, 26, in March in the Choueifat area, south of Beirut, in front of their three children.

Mona Al-Homsi was allegedly shot and killed by her ex-husband in Jabal Mohsen, Tripoli.

According to the World Bank: “Family crime has increased in Lebanon, and the rate of femicide has increased in the Middle East even though rates of femicide globally have been declining since the 1990s.”

In 2020, the Lebanese parliament approved amendments designed to enhance the Law to Protect Women and Other Family Members from Domestic Violence, six years after it was introduced. However, experts say it still fails to provide an effective safety net for women and children. The ongoing financial crisis in the country is adding to the pressure.

According to a UNICEF report published in June: “The ability of families in Lebanon to meet their basic needs has decreased despite having cut expenses significantly. An increasing number of families have been forced to send their children, some as young as six, to work in a desperate attempt to survive in light of the social and economic crisis.”

Caregivers quoted in the report said they are facing “a hopeless situation of tremendous stress, which results in feelings of anger toward their children. Six out of 10 of these (caregivers) felt the urge to yell at their children, and two out of 10 felt so angry that they almost beat their children in the two weeks preceding the survey.”

Heightened tensions, coupled with growing deprivation, also take a toll on the mental health of youngsters. Seven out of 10 caregivers said their children appeared restless, tense and edgy. Almost half said their children seemed very sad or frequently depressed.

A previous UNICEF study found that “the crisis in Lebanon leads to the collapse and fragmentation of family relations. This is evident through children losing confidence in their parents due to their (the parents’) inability to meet the basic needs of the family.

“On the other hand, parents feel that their children do not respect them because of their failure in the role they are supposed to play as caregivers.”

 


Lebanon greets Saudi basketball delegation

Updated 9 sec ago
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Lebanon greets Saudi basketball delegation

  • The arrival of Al-Ittihad marks significant step following Beirut’s efforts to rebuild international trust
  • Lebanese PM Salam welcomes Saudi team ‘to your second home’ after travel ban lifted

BEIRUT: Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad Jeddah Basketball Club landed in Beirut on Friday afternoon, arriving from the Red Sea city on a Middle East Airlines flight.

This marks the first time Saudi nationals have visited Lebanon since the Kingdom’s authorities imposed a travel ban on citizens heading to the country in 2019.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the Saudi team.

“This is a visit filled with hope for increased cooperation in various fields, and an opportunity to strengthen the fraternal relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“Welcome to your second home, and among your people.”

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. (AFP/File)

Lebanon’s Youth and Sports Minister Nora Bayrakdarian was at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport to receive the Saudi sports delegation.

Al-Ittihad is participating in the FIBA West Asia Super League final eight, alongside teams from Kuwait, the UAE, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, and two teams from Lebanon —Al-Riyadi and Sagesse SC  — in matches from May 10-18.

The UAE lifted its travel ban on its citizens visiting Lebanon, and Emirati travelers began arriving in the Mediterranean country at the beginning of this week.

Lebanon is eagerly anticipating the return of other Gulf nationals, particularly in light of President Joseph Aoun’s recent visits to Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, aimed at restoring international trust in the country.

On May 7, an Emirates plane landed at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, and the passengers from the UAE were welcomed with flowers.

At the time, the Lebanese ambassador to the UAE, Fouad Chehab Dandan, posted pictures of the warm reception on his Facebook account.

The ambassador commented: “A step that brings hope for the return of our Arab brothers to their second home, Lebanon, which will welcome and receive them with flowers, warmth, and love.”
 


UN’s top anti-racism body calls for immediate Gaza aid access

Updated 54 min 46 sec ago
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UN’s top anti-racism body calls for immediate Gaza aid access

  • Civilian population ‘at imminent risk of famine, disease and death,’ statement warns
  • Israel has blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza since March in bid to ‘pressurize Hamas’

NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s top anti-racism body has called for immediate humanitarian access to Gaza in a bid to avoid “catastrophic consequences” for its civilian population.

The statement by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination — comprised of independent experts — came hours after the World Central Kitchen charity said it was forced to end operations in Gaza due to a lack of food.

It also follows a commitment by Israel to “conquer” almost all of the enclave, as well as disputes involving Israel, the UN and US over the appropriate way to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians there.

The CERD committee is convening in Geneva for its latest session, ending today.

Gaza’s civilian population, “especially vulnerable groups such as children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities,” are “at imminent risk of famine, disease and death,” the committee said.

The warning follows an earlier appeal by the World Food Programme, the UN’s food agency, which said that almost all food aid operations in Gaza had collapsed.

Late last month, the agency announced that the entirety of its food reserves in the enclave had been depleted.

Since March, Israel has blocked humanitarian aid into Gaza in a bid to build pressure on Hamas, which still holds Israeli hostages.

Tom Fletcher, the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, said last week: “Two months ago, the Israeli authorities took a deliberate decision to block all aid to Gaza and halt our efforts to save survivors of their military offensive.

“They have been bracingly honest that this policy is to pressurize Hamas.”

Expanded military operations by Israel in Gaza over the past two months “have dramatically worsened the humanitarian crisis and severely endangered the civilian population,” Friday’s CERD statement said.

The committee called on Israel to “lift all barriers to humanitarian access, allow the immediate and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, and cease all actions obstructing the provision of essential services to the civilian population in Gaza.”

The statement also highlighted worsening conditions across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including in East Jerusalem, where Israel closed six UNRWA schools this week.

Philippe Lazzarini, the Palestinian refugee agency’s chief, reacted with fury over the move, describing it as an “assault on children.”

The CERD statement called on all UN states to “cooperate to bring an end to the violations that are taking place and to prevent war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, including by ceasing any military assistance.”


UN committee warns of ‘another Nakba’ in Palestinian territories

Updated 09 May 2025
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UN committee warns of ‘another Nakba’ in Palestinian territories

  • During the 1948 war, around 760,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in what became known as “the Nakba”

GENEVA: The world could be witnessing “another Nakba” expulsion of Palestinians, a United Nations committee warned Friday, accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and saying it was inflicting “unimaginable suffering” on Palestinians.

For Palestinians, any forced displacement evokes memories of the “Nakba,” or catastrophe — the mass displacement in the war that accompanied to Israel’s creation in 1948.

“Israel continues to inflict unimaginable suffering on the people living under its occupation, whilst rapidly expanding confiscation of land as part of its wider colonial aspirations,” warned a UN committee tasked with probing Israeli practices affecting Palestinian rights.

“What we are witnessing could very well be another Nakba,” it said, after concluding an annual mission to Amman.

During the 1948 war, around 760,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in what became known as “the Nakba.”

The descendants of some 160,000 Palestinians who managed to remain in what became Israel presently make about 20 percent of its population.

The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1968.

The committee is currently composed of the Sri Lankan, Malaysian and Senegalese ambassadors to the UN in New York.

“What the world is witnessing could very well be a second Nakba. The goal of wider colonial expansion is clearly the priority of the government of Israel,” they said in their report.

“Security operations are used as a smokescreen for rapid land grabbing, mass displacement, dispossession, demolitions, forced evictions and ethnic cleansing, in order to replace the Palestinian communities with Jewish settlers.”


Iran, US to resume nuclear talks on Sunday after postponement

Updated 09 May 2025
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Iran, US to resume nuclear talks on Sunday after postponement

  • Fourth round of indirect negotiations, initially set for May 3 in Rome, postponed due to ‘logistical reasons’

DUBAI: Iran has agreed to hold a fourth round of nuclear talks with the United States on Sunday in Oman, Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said on Friday, adding that the negotiations were advancing.

US President Donald Trump, who withdrew Washington from a 2015 deal between Tehran and world powers meant to curb its nuclear activity, has threatened to bomb Iran if no new deal is reached to resolve the long unresolved dispute.

Western countries say Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran accelerated after the US walkout from the now moribund 2015 accord, is geared toward producing weapons, whereas Iran insists it is purely for civilian purposes.

“The negotiations are moving forward, and naturally, the further we go, the more consultations and reviews are needed,” Aragchi said in remarks carried by Iranian state media.

“The delegations require more time to examine the issues that are raised. But what is important is that we are on a forward-moving path and gradually entering into the details.”

The fourth round of indirect negotiations, initially scheduled for May 3 in Rome, was postponed, with mediator Oman citing “logistical reasons.”

Aragchi said a planned visit to Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Saturday was in line with “continuous consultations” with neighboring countries to “address their concerns and mutual interests” about the nuclear issue. 


No milk, no diapers: US aid cuts hit Syrian refugees in Lebanon

Updated 09 May 2025
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No milk, no diapers: US aid cuts hit Syrian refugees in Lebanon

  • Merhi and her family are among the millions of people affected by Trump’s decision to freeze USAID funding to humanitarian programs
  • Since the freeze, the UNHCR and WFP have had to limit the amount of aid they provide

BEIRUT: Amal Al-Merhi’s twin 10-month-old daughters often go without milk or diapers.

She feeds them a mix of cornstarch and water, because milk is too expensive. Instead of diapers, Merhi ties plastic bags around her babies’ waists.

The effect of their poverty is clear, she said.

“If you see one of the twins, you would not believe she is 10-months-old,” Merhi said in a phone interview. “She is so small and soft.”

The 20-year-old Syrian mother lives in a tent with her family of five in an informal camp in Bar Elias in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

She fled Syria’s civil war in 2013 and has been relying on cash assistance from the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR to get by.

But that has ended.

Merhi and her family are among the millions of people affected by US President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze USAID funding to humanitarian programs.

Since the freeze, the UNHCR and the World Food Program (WFP) have had to limit the amount of aid they provide to some of the world’s most vulnerable people in countries from Lebanon to Chad and Ukraine.

In February, the WFP was forced to cut the number of Syrian refugees receiving cash assistance to 660,000 from 830,000, meaning the organization is reaching 76 percent of the people it planned to target, a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the WFP’s shock responsive safety net that supports Lebanese citizens cut its beneficiaries to 40,000 from 162,000 people, the spokesperson added.

The UNHCR has been forced to reduce all aspects of its operations in Lebanon, said Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR’s country representative, in an interview.

The agency cut 347,000 people from the UNHCR component of a WFP-UNHCR joint program as of April, a spokesperson said. Every family had been receiving $45 monthly from UNHCR, they added.

The group can support 206,000 Syrian refugees until June, when funds will dry up, they also said.

“We need to be very honest to everyone that the UNHCR of the past that could be totally on top of issues in a very expedient manner with lots of quality and resources — that is no longer the case,” Freijsen said. “We regret that sincerely.”

BAD TO WORSE
By the end of March, the UNHCR had enough money to cover only 17 percent of its planned global operations, and the budget for Lebanon is only 14 percent funded.

Lebanon is home to the largest refugee population per capita in the world.

Roughly 1.5 million Syrians, half of whom are formally registered with the UNHCR, live alongside some 4 million Lebanese.

Islamist-led rebels ousted former Syrian leader Bashar Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces. Since then there have been outbreaks of deadly sectarian violence, and fears among minorities are rising.

In March, hundreds of Syrians fled to Lebanon after killings targeted the minority Alawite sect.

Lebanon has been in the grips of unyielding crises since its economy imploded in 2019. The war between Israel and armed group Hezbollah is expected to wipe billions of dollars from the national wealth as well, the United Nations has said.

Economic malaise has meant fewer jobs for everyone, including Syrian refugees.

“My husband works one day and then sits at home for 10,” Merhi said. “We need help. I just want milk and diapers for my kids.”

DANGEROUS CHOICES
The UNHCR has been struggling with funding cuts for years, but the current cuts are “much more rapid and sizeable” and uncertainty prevails, said Freijsen.

“A lot of other questions are still to be answered, like, what will be the priorities? What will still be funded?” Freijsen asked.

Syrian refugees and vulnerable communities in Lebanon might be forced to make risky or dangerous choices, he said.

Some may take out loans. Already about 80 percent of Syrian refugees are in debt to pay for rent, groceries and medical bills, Freijsen said. Children may also be forced to work.

“Women may be forced into commercial sex work,” he added.

Issa Idris, a 50-year-old father of three, has not received any cash assistance from UNHCR since February and has been forced to take on debt to buy food.

“They cut us off with no warning,” he said.

He now owes a total of $3,750, used to pay for food, rent and medicine, and he has no idea how he will pay it back.

He cannot work because of an injury, but his 18-year-old son sometimes finds work as a day laborer.

“We are lucky. We have someone who can work. Many do not,” he said.

Merhi too has fallen into debt. The local grocer is refusing to lend her any more money, and last month power was cut until the family paid the utility bill

She and her husband collect and sell scrap metal to buy food.

“We are adults. We can eat anything,” she said, her voice breaking. “The kids cannot. It is not their fault.”