Lebanese children still housed in school shelters as new term looms

In the wake of renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, thousands of Lebanese youngsters continue to reside in public schools that serve as emergency shelters, even as the academic year is set to begin on September 15. The health ministry reports over 4,300 deaths and 12,000 injuries since March 2, leaving nearly a quarter of the population displaced at the conflict's height; more than 340,000 remain unable to return home.

Of roughly 80 schools used for sheltering, about half will reopen for teaching, 30 will operate partially, and nine will stay fully occupied as housing. The education ministry says it will try to place southern students in safe classrooms wherever possible, while the United Nations warns that at least 100,000 children could miss schooling. Families such as grandmother Najah Ammar, who lives in a Tyre school with 200 other families, and mother Rula al-Awad, worried about costs for books and uniforms, illustrate the human toll. Save the Children stresses that only a lasting ceasefire can resolve the crisis, noting that a political solution, not humanitarian aid alone, is needed.