Israel’s war leaves Lebanon’s schools balancing students and the displaced
Schools in Lebanon are set to start on September 15, but many still host people displaced by Israel's war.
Froun, Lebanon – Abbas Makki is the principal of a school in the village of Froun, in southern Lebanon. He sits behind the desk in his office, preparing for the return of students to his school, which is also doubling as a centre for displaced people in the village.
Froun is littered with rubble from buildings destroyed by Israeli air strikes. Local officials say most of the village still has no state-provided water or electricity. This means that as the return to the school year approaches in Lebanon, many of the displaced are unable to return home.
“Our area has been devastated,” Makki said. He noted that the school reopened on the first day after a US-declared June truce was announced between Lebanon and Israel. And now, after the summer break, it will reopen again – but continue to provide shelter for those in need.
But Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon in recent days have driven some back from their homes. On Monday, Israel killed 12 people in southern Lebanon, including two children, after it hit a residential building and a car in the Nabatieh region’s Kfar Reman. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, 4,381 people in Lebanon have been killed by Israel since March 2.