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284. The right to life also requires for the State party to undertake all efforts to provide health
care for all children, including the wounded. Access to health (art. 24 of the Convention on the
Rights of the life) is an important issue, because of the disruption of the health system during the
conflict and the damage caused to many medical facilities.246 In addition, as a result of the
conflict, many children will be disabled for life. This will require the Government of Lebanon to
take all necessary measures to ensure physical rehabilitation for the wounded (art. 39 of the
Convention) and to grant special measures of protection to disabled children (art. 23 of the
Convention).
285. Mental health and psychological recovery (art. 39 of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child) are also key issues to be addressed as indicated in the Statement adopted by the
Committee on the Rights of the Child on 3 August 2006.247 Projections made by WHO show
that a large percentage of the population248 suffer from moderate or severe mental psychological
stress, which obviously includes children.249 WHO in collaboration with the Ministry of Public
Health and the professional societies (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and nurses)
launched Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies workshops in Saida, Tyre and
Nabatyieh for primary health-care personnel and physicians with a view to organizing further
trainings on a national basis is being contemplated. NGOs are also involved in this matter, such
as Save the Children,250 Terre des Hommes251 and Samidoun.252
286. Many children became orphans as a result of this armed conflict and the Lebanese
Government will have to undertake all necessary efforts in order to ensure that these children are
given special protection and assistance (art. 20 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child).
Finally, as already mentioned earlier, the Commission is also afraid that due to the trauma
witnessed by many families, domestic violence may increase. To fully implement article 19 of
the Convention, the Lebanese Government will have to pay particular attention to this issue.
4. Education
287. The extent of destruction and damage to schools and other educational establishments, in
particular throughout southern Lebanon, gave rise to fears that education would be substantially
at risk when the school year began again after the summer months. The mixed system of
education in Lebanon - public and private - meant that the families of many pupils now needed
help in finding school fees. Among those families who could afford it, it was mentioned to the
Commission, a number made the decision thenceforward to send their children to school out of
the country for reasons of security.
288. In the circumstances, the start of the school year was delayed by some three weeks,
until 16-18 October 2006, to allow time for repair, restoration, disinfection, clearance of debris
and refurbishment of school buildings. The costs of this were estimated at US$ 44,000,000.
Major support came quickly for early recovery efforts, in particular from the United Arab
Emirates,253 focusing on rehabilitation of schools and provision of basic equipment. This was
accompanied by a Back to School campaign led by UNICEF and the Ministry of Education.
289. Thus it was reported that 85 per cent of children in primary education were able to return
to school by 18 October.254 As for the other 15 per cent, it is still not clear how they will
continue with their education. Specific problems were encountered in those areas worst hit,
particularly along the Blue Line, where children were attending school in neighbouring villages,
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