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Lebanon prepares for school year as displaced families continue sheltering in classrooms

Education officials plan to resume classes on Sept. 15, but hundreds of damaged facilities and displaced residents pose major logistical challenges.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 11:23 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Lebanon's public school year is set to begin on Sept. 15, but around 80 public schools remain active shelters for displaced families.
  • About 350,000 people in Lebanon remain displaced from the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, including roughly 21,000 staying in collective shelters.
  • Education officials plan to consolidate shelters, split school spaces, or use unused buildings, though 340 schools are damaged or destroyed without available repair funds.
  • Aid officials warn that years of compounded crises have created significant learning loss for Lebanese children.

Key facts

  • The Lebanese academic year is scheduled to start Sept. 15, while around 80 public schools are still being used as shelters.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • According to the U.N. humanitarian office, around 350,000 people remain displaced in Lebanon, with approximately 21,000 residing in collective shelters.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Lebanon's education ministry reported that 340 schools were damaged during the war, including about 30 that were destroyed, with no current funding for repairs.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Education ministry adviser Georgia Hachem stated that officials plan to reopen schools by moving families to unused buildings, consolidating shelters, or operating shared facilities.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Save the Children estimates that Lebanese students face at least four years of learning loss due to disruptions from war, economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2020 Beirut port explosion.[Associated Press · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • How many families can be relocated in time for the Sept. 15 start date remains unclear, given that high political tensions and ongoing military presence prevent displaced families from returning south.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The source of funding to rebuild the 340 damaged or destroyed schools has not been identified.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Sources