UNICEF Warns 100,000 Lebanese Children Risk Missing School After Conflict Damages 340 Schools

UNICEF Warns 100,000 Lebanese Children Risk Missing School After Conflict Damages 340 Schools
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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that nearly 100,000 children in Lebanon could miss the start of the upcoming academic year after conflict-related damage left hundreds of schools unfit for use.

In a statement released on Friday, UNICEF cited a nationwide assessment conducted by Lebanon’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education with the agency’s support, which found that 340 schools and educational institutions had sustained damage across the governorates of Nabatieh, South Lebanon, Bekaa, Baalbek-Hermel, Beirut, and Mount Lebanon. Of those, 17 schools were completely destroyed.

According to UNICEF, many of the affected schools require extensive repairs, while those that were destroyed will need to be rebuilt before they can safely reopen.

The agency warned that prolonged disruptions to education could increase school dropout rates, child labor, and the psychological and social challenges facing children who remain out of the classroom.

UNICEF called for urgent investment to rehabilitate damaged schools and restore safe learning environments ahead of the new academic year, stressing that protecting children’s right to education remains a humanitarian priority amid Lebanon’s ongoing challenges.