UNICEF Warns 100,000 Lebanese Children May Miss School Next Year Without Urgent Action

UNICEF has reported that no fewer than 100,000 children in Lebanon face the risk of not returning to their classrooms at the start of the upcoming academic year unless immediate measures are taken before September to repair and rehabilitate schools damaged by the recent conflict.

According to a statement from the organization, a comprehensive national assessment conducted by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in June, with technical support from UNICEF through the Education Trust Fund (TREF) and funding from the European Union, Germany, France, and Switzerland, revealed unprecedented damage to Lebanon’s education sector caused by the recent conflict. The assessment found that 340 schools—including public, private, and technical and vocational education institutions—sustained damage, with 17 schools completely destroyed. These damages affected several of the provinces most impacted by the conflict, including Nabatieh, the South, Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel, Beirut, and Mount Lebanon.

While some schools suffered limited damage, many require extensive rehabilitation or complete reconstruction before they can provide a safe learning environment for students and teachers.

The statement also highlighted years of repeated interruptions to children’s education in Lebanon due to overlapping crises and conflicts. It noted that for many children, any additional prolonged disruption to education would have lasting effects on their academic achievement, well-being, mental health, and future opportunities. Furthermore, depriving children of education increases their exposure to protection risks, including child marriage and child labor.

UNICEF emphasized its ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, donors, and partners to support school rehabilitation, ensure continuity of learning, and aid the recovery of the education sector across Lebanon. Despite substantial and sustained donor support to the education sector through the Education Trust Fund over the years, the scale of destruction demands a significant increase in investments to guarantee the rehabilitation of safe learning environments before the new school year begins. The organization reaffirmed that every child has the right to learn in a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment and stressed that investing in the education sector’s recovery today is an investment in Lebanon’s children, communities, and future.

Mark Luigi Corsi, UNICEF’s representative in Lebanon, stated that schools are not merely walls and roofs but places where children learn, build their futures, feel safe, and take their first steps toward recovery from crises. He underscored that this assessment provides the first comprehensive picture of the damage sustained by Lebanon’s education sector. With the new school year approaching, any delay in rehabilitation would result in further learning losses for children. Therefore, urgent investments are needed to ensure children return to school without delay.

Corsi concluded by saying that each day a child spends out of school represents an additional loss in learning and an increased risk of dropping out. Education cannot wait for full recovery; it is both an essential part of recovery and a driver of it. He added that rehabilitating schools is not just about repairing walls and classrooms but about restoring hope, enhancing protection, and giving every child a real opportunity to learn and build their future.