Lebanon: At least 52 million school age children across Middle East have had education disrupted over past six months

While millions of children around the world prepare to return to school, millions more across the Middle East are being denied something every child has a right to: an education. The escalation of conflict in the region since February has damaged schools, displaced families and made it harder for children to access safe, consistent learning. In Lebanon alone, years of crisis and conflict have disrupted children’s education, with the latest escalation creating even more barriers to learning. At least 100,000 children are at risk of not returning to school next month. It’s not just Lebanese children at risk. In the remote Akkar region of northern Lebanon, thousands of Syrian refugees live in tents across hundreds of informal settlements. Families living here were already facing difficult living conditions, with children struggling to access education and basic services. The latest escalation has put even more pressure on limited services and support. For children in the settlements, this can make it even harder to regularly attend classes and sessions run by local organisations, and maintain the routine they need to learn. War Child, working with our local partners, is bringing education directly to children living in settlements in the region. Sara’s family fled violence in Syria and have lived at the settlement for many years. “When I grow up, I want to become a French teacher. I just want to learn. I like French.” For Sara, achieving that dream means finding ways to keep learning even when daily life makes it difficult. “When my mother is at work, I take care of my little brother,” she says. She prepares his bottle, changes him and puts him to sleep before leaving him with her other brother so she can go study. Sara has become adept at balancing her household duties with her schoolwork. “I do my homework and once I finish it, I send it to the teacher the next day. She visits us here some days. I like studying. For now, we’re using the mobile phone for learning.” Sara’s experience is different from that of children attending Lebanon’s formal education system, but it reflects a wider challenge facing children across the country: keeping education going when conflict, displacement and poverty disrupt almost every part of daily life. As children prepare for a new school year, education across Lebanon is in crisis. A nationwide assessment by Lebanon’s Ministry of Education found that 340 schools have been damaged and 17 destroyed. Some 165,000 children are currently learning remotely because their schools have been damaged, are being used as shelters or are in areas affected by the fighting. Education offers children stability, routine and hope. That’s why War Child is launching a new education programme in northern Lebanon, supporting the Ministry of Education, to establish learning hubs, introduce Can’t Wait To Learn - our digital learning programme - alongside mental health support, play and games, and support for teachers and caregivers. That is why play is an important part of the transition back into education. It can help children rebuild trust, concentration and routine, creating a pathway back into learning. But this work alone can’t meet the scale of need. Six months on since the start of the most recent escalation, Lebanon’s emergency education response still needs an estimated £7 million in funding. But fully funding the immediate response will not be enough. Years of disruption and displacement mean children need sustained support to catch up on lost learning, while Lebanon’s education system needs long term investment to recover. For refugee children and families living in informal settlements, support must also extend beyond the formal education system, helping all children access safe, consistent learning. Governments must fully fund the immediate response and invest beyond this school year, so children can recover lost learning and rebuild their futures. Every child has the right to an education. That right must be protected.