(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Minister of Health Wael Abu Faour called for the immediate closure of 120 nurseries in Lebanon for violating licensing laws in Lebanon, and operating their businesses illegally.
Abu Faour ordered the immediate closure of the nurseries during a recent press conference, amid ongoing controversy following the deaths of two babies in Lebanon.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, Abu Faour said that “two thirds of nurseries in Lebanon are not licensed.”
“We are facing a crisis in the ethics, not just in law, in nurseries,” the health minister said. “It’s like we’re living in a jungle. This is considered an act of rebellion against the law and the government.”
Abu Faour said his staff conducted an investigation of 304 daycare centers in all regions of Lebanon. Initial inspection showed that 205 of the 304 centers were operating without licenses.
But Abu Faour announced that 85 of them have applied and obtained licenses since the investigation. The remainder will face immediate closure and legal ramifications.
“But after what happened at two nurseries in the past weeks, we have decided to shut down all 120 unlicensed nurseries until they meet the necessary health standards,” he said.
Abu Faour’s decision comes a few days after Clarinette et Zoe Nursery in Aajaltoun was shut down after a four-month-old died at the facility.
The minister urged parents to inquire about any nursery and check whether it responds to law conditions before enrolling their children.