The impact of the Lebanon-Israel war of 2024 on Lebanese displaced adolescent girls: An exploration between theory and reality

Abstract

The thesis delves into the struggles and sufferings of the Lebanese adolescent girls during the 2024 Lebanon-Israel conflict. It examines the challenges faced by girls that particularly hinder their healthy growth while in displacement, including the complexities of reintegration in post-conflict contexts. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable in humanitarian settings, yet protection mechanisms that would safeguard their rights are often neglected, and are instead receiving similar interventions compared to infants. During this critical phase of development, adolescents are highly susceptible to any stressful events that would lead to prolonged mental health complications. Still, adolescent girls navigate the intersecting vulnerabilities exacerbated by the socio-cultural norms obstructing their well-being. Even though Lebanon ratified both the Conventions on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which would guarantee children’s rights and protection in fragile settings, their application remains paradoxical based on the lived testimonies of the Lebanese displaced girls in the recent displacement that occurred. Thus, the study critically assesses the efficacy of the national emergency plan adopted in 2023 to protect the IDPs against any forms of aggression. Additionally, it examines the Human Rights violations that have exacerbated the quality of life of adolescent girls, while shedding light on the resilience and protective factors that have practically mitigated their psychological burden throughout all cycles of displacement. It also addresses the institutional gaps and challenges in meeting the needs of the targeted population, thereby mitigating further harm to their well-being. Inspired by theorists that have contributed to addressing the research question in all its features, starting from the theory of attachment, ecological model, narrative identities, feminists’ theories on gender and conflicts, with the incorporated three narrative critical case studies that have highlighted the challenges occurred in emergency settings, as a raised voice for the oppressed girls who remain silenced. To support the adolescent girls in future emergencies, a recommendation chapter is dedicated to the voices of the displaced, with the field-based organizations, and the governmental actors. 7 | P a g e Ultimately, the research calls for amending the national emergency plan that could not adequately address the needs of the displaced people, particularly centering the most vulnerable categories at the core, with tailored programs targeting adolescents and youth, where they must actively participate in the preparation of the emergency response plan, as active agents in society.