Education disrupted for sixth year for 1.5 million children in Lebanon, with half of public schools used as shelters

BEIRUT, 9 October 2024 – Half of Lebanon’s public schools have been turned into shelters for forcibly displaced people in the past two weeks, disrupting children’s education for the sixth consecutive year and increasing the threat to their long-term physical and mental wellbeing, Save the Children said. 

Lebanon’s Ministry of Education said that Israeli airstrikes have forced about 40% of Lebanon's 1.5 million pupils from their homes and postponed the start of the school year for public schools from 14 October to 4 November. 

At least 500 public schools - about half of Lebanon’s public schools - are now being used as collective shelters*, following escalating violence on 23 September that led to the displacement of over 1.2 million people, or about one fifth of the population.

This marks the sixth year of significant disruptions to education for children in Lebanon, with the World Bank estimating that it will take Lebanon generations to recover from these successive shocks to children's education.

Save the Children said children in Lebanon have been hit by multiple complex crises for decades, without being able to fully recover, including the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, the Beirut port explosion, economic downturns and the teachers’ strike in 2023.

Since October 2023, escalating hostilities have resulted in over 2,000 people being killed, including about 127 children, and at least 10,000 injured in Lebanon.

Salim*, 45, is a father of three boys aged 12, 16 and 17 from the south of Lebanon. In the past year, his family was forced to relocate eight times. The family is now staying at a school used as a collective shelter in Bekaa, eastern Lebanon, sharing a classroom with another family. He said:

“Every time we thought this was it, and we could settle down, take a breath, we were forced to move again. None of my children have received a proper education since 2020. Now, all they care about is making sure we’re safe and together. I never wanted this for them. I wanted them to have the freedom to dream, to chase after those dreams when the time was right, and to live their lives to the fullest. But now, all I want is for them to survive. Dreams have been replaced by basic survival. Food, education, and medication, these things have become distant luxuries.”  

Sawsan*, 27, was displaced to the same school with her two children, aged four and five. She said:

“It’s been a year like this, a year of my children waking up to the sounds of Israeli bombs exploding around us. A year of uncertainty. We left on 26 September after our village was attacked. We spent two days on the road, desperately searching for safety and shelter until we arrived at this school. At first, my children were confused and unsure. “We’re going to live in a school?” they asked. “Does that mean we’ll study here too?” 

Erin Wall, Education Technical Advisor at Save the Children Lebanon, said:

“Education during conflict plays a crucial role in providing a sense of normalcy and routine for children, but schools are now closed once again, and most non-formal education activities halted in the last two weeks. This only adds to the children’s distress as they lose access to the comfort of their friends and teachers, the structure of safe learning spaces and the routine support services they can find in schools. If schools stay closed, we expect compounded learning losses, with children unable to read and write, leading to a higher risk of drop-out and lower learning achievement overall, not to mention social isolation and disconnection. This will significantly affect children’s wellbeing, development, and ability to learn, limiting their opportunities for the future.” 

Save the Children is committed to ensuring children can access their right to a quality education even in times of crisis. Since hostilities escalated in October 2023, Save the Children has reached more than 2,100 displaced children through delivery of emergency learning activities, provision of critical non-specialized psychosocial support and social emotional learning activities, and distribution of educational materials. 

Jennifer Moorehead, Country Director of Save the Children in Lebanon said:

“Countless parents are telling us that one of their top priorities is for their children to get back to school, which does not surprise us. Education is one of the most essential factors necessary for the recovery and future of children – and the country. Schools also offer an important entry point for children to be referred to other essential services like healthcare, mental health support or child protection services. Every day away from the classroom, is a growing threat to children’s long-term physical and mental wellbeing. Schools should only be used as shelters as a last resort, and for the shortest possible period. We call for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further suffering and protect children’s right to education.” 

Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953. Since October 2023, we’ve been scaling up our response in Lebanon, supporting displaced Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian children and families, and now have escalated an emergency response throughout the country in 161 collective shelters. Since October 2023, we’ve supported more than 100,000 people, including 40,000 children, with cash, blankets, mattresses and pillows, food parcels, water bottles and kits containing essential hygiene items. 

Currently, Save the Children is scaling up its Education in Emergency response and related child protection support for displaced families inside and outside collective shelters, focusing on ensuring learning continuity and wellbeing support. 

Note to Editor 

* "Collective shelters" are pre-existing buildings and structures where large group of displaced people find shelter for a short time while durable solutions are pursued. A variety of facilities may be used as collective centres - community centres, town halls, hotels, gymnasiums, warehouses, unfinished buildings, disused factories. Infrastructure and basic services are provided on a communal basis or access to them is made possible.