Children in Lebanon Get Back to Learning

UNICEF is supporting Lebanon's Ministry of Education and Higher Education to get about 387,000 children —including children living in shelters and communities affected by the war — gradually back to school, starting Nov. 4, 2024.

Children are returning to the classroom, excited and eager to get back to the comforting familiarity of school routines. "We were told two days ago that the next day would be our first day back at school, so I went to bed early and woke up feeling energized, "says 7-year-old Hiyam, seated at her new desk.

School gives children living in conflict zones a much-needed sense of normalcy and hope for the future. "When we were told that we might not be going back to school, I couldn't help but cry," 10-year-old Omar confesses.

The new school year was originally scheduled to start in the first week of October but was delayed due to the war. Resuming education in public schools presents significant challenges as about 60 percent of shelters for displaced families are in schools, and many teachers and students have been forced to relocate far from their usual schools.

UNICEF's initiative is part of an emergency response plan to support the opening and operation of 326 public schools not used as shelters by IDPs to ensure school-age children in Lebanon have access to education.

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