Struggling to Educate While Sheltering the Displaced: Lebanon's Schools Face a Difficult Reopening

Children sit in the yard of an all-girls high school turned into a shelter for displaced people in Tyre, Lebanon, April 12, 2026. In Froun, Lebanon, Abbas Makki serves as the principal of a school located in the southern village. He sits behind his office desk, preparing for the upcoming return of students to his institution, which currently functions simultaneously as a community center for displaced residents.

Froun remains heavily impacted by the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli air strikes. Local officials report that most of the village still lacks state-provided water and electricity, leaving many displaced individuals unable to return to their homes as the new school year approaches. "Our area has been devastated," Makki said, noting that while the school previously reopened following a US-declared June truce between Lebanon and Israel, it must now resume classes while continuing to shelter those in need. "We will reopen the school, but will not abandon the displaced people," he stated.

Israel's military campaign in Lebanon intensified for a second consecutive year in March following regional escalations. The renewed conflict resulted in the displacement of over one million Lebanese individuals, primarily originating from southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Although direct negotiations began in April under US mediation and led to a late June framework agreement involving pilot security zones, many returning residents found their homes reduced to concrete rubble.

Individuals like Soujoud Ramadan have taken up residence at the local school, where she now operates a small market near the entrance to sell basic necessities. With the public school year scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 15, the Lebanese government has set concurrent goals for restoring basic utilities in Froun. While many displaced citizens have gradually departed school shelters, ongoing military strikes in southern Lebanon continue to disrupt stability and force families back into temporary accommodations.

According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, 4,381 people in Lebanon have lost their lives since March 2, leaving hundreds of thousands still displaced. Maysoun Chehab, senior education programme specialist at UNESCO's Beirut office, emphasized the immense difficulty of balancing shelter and education. "A school cannot function simultaneously as a proper shelter and a normal learning environment," Chehab noted, adding that more than 340 schools have suffered damage and 454 have been affected by conflict disruptions.

Lebanon’s Education Minister Rima Karami assured the public on September 2 that every student will have access to education for the 2026-27 academic year, promising that no displaced person will be removed from a school shelter without alternative housing. Local initiatives in towns like Srifa and Bourj Qalaway, alongside planned prefabricated housing in Froun, aim to separate housing solutions from learning spaces. Educational experts stress that protecting children's learning environments remains vital to safeguarding Lebanon's future amidst ongoing regional challenges.