The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has called for more action as thousands of youngsters in Gaza and Lebanon miss out on vital education. 

Hundreds of schools have been turned into emergency shelters for people who lost or been forced from their homes as a result of ongoing military action. Charities are warning that young people face lifelong consequences as a result of the conflict, but say that they will “not let a generation of children lose their future to this crisis”.

The current conflict began when Hamas-led militants launched an attack into Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and taking around 250 hostages. In response, Israel has launched a massive retaliatory strike on Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced around 90 percent of the territory’s population.

Israeli forces have also invaded southern Lebanon and bombed cities such as Beirut and Tyre.

In Gaza, children are now unable to go to school for the second school year in a row, with 45,000 unable to start school for the first time.  

Only 15,000 children are being supported by temporary learning spaces that have been set up by humanitarian agencies but this is a small fraction of what is needed for the 625,000 pupils in Gaza who have already missed up to a full school year since the conflict began. It has been reported that 378 school buildings in Gaza have been directly hit over the past year. 

In Lebanon, more than three-quarters of public schools have been converted to collective shelters or are otherwise disrupted. For schools that remain open, the start of the academic term has been delayed from October 14 to November 4.

The DEC’s latest warnings follow the launch of the Middle East Humanitarian Appeal on 17 October. Funds raised by the appeal will help DEC member charities to provide psycho-social and mental health support, education opportunities, and safe spaces.

A family living in a refugee camp after being displaced four timesA family living in a refugee camp after being displaced four times (Image: CARE/Team Yousef Ruzzi) One of those organisations, Save the Children, has already helped more than 2,000 displaced children since October 2023. The charity has been providing education, mental health support, and social and emotional learning activities, as well as distributing educational supplies.

Plan International is distributing student kits and learning materials as well as recreational kits for displaced students in Lebanon. 

Christian Aid is providing psychosocial support to children in Gaza, and ActionAid is supporting 5,500 children with access to education through Hope festival in Rafah that are led by humanitarian youth groups from the area.

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Emilia Sorrentino, Education in Emergencies Global Lead at DEC member charity Plan International, said:  

“For many children in Gaza and Lebanon education is a lifeline as well as a basic right – it is a form of resilience for children that gives them hope for a better future. This is why Plan International is committed to ensuring that safe access to education is restored. We are working tirelessly to help children learn and return to school while also providing other lifesaving assistance to those who have had to flee their homes. 

“We will not let a generation of children lose their future to this crisis.”

A mother and child walk through the destruction in GazaA mother and child walk through the destruction in Gaza (Image: Majdi Fathi / Christian Aid) Erin Wall, Education Technical Advisor at Save the Children Lebanon, said:   

“Education during conflict plays a crucial role in providing a sense of normalcy and routine for children, but schools are now closed once again, and most non-formal education activities halted in the last two weeks. 

“This only adds to the children’s distress as they lose access to the comfort of their friends and teachers, the structure of safe learning spaces and the routine support services they can find in schools.

“If schools stay closed, we expect compounded learning losses, with children unable to read and write, leading to a higher risk of drop-out and lower learning achievement overall, not to mention social isolation and disconnection. This will significantly affect children’s wellbeing, development, and ability to learn, limiting their opportunities for the future.”  

Every pound donated by the British public to the DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal will be matched by the UK Government through its UK Aid Match scheme, up to the value of £10 million.

For more information on the appeal, please visit the DEC website.