At least 52 million school-aged children have had their education disrupted by school closures or a shift to online learning due to ongoing violence in the Middle East, according to Save the Children. The aid group’s calculation, based on UN population data for children ages 5-17, shows the widespread impact as schools were damaged, closed, or repurposed as shelters across a dozen nations including Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In Pakistan, schools have been asked to close for two weeks to conserve fuel, but exams will continue as scheduled.
Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, emphasized that every missed lesson deepens the scars of war and stressed that schools should be safe havens for children. Marian Hodgkin, Global Head of Education at Save the Children, noted that the conflict directly impacts students’ academic performance but also their protection and ability to cope with increasing risks and instability.
Save the Children is responding across the region by delivering “Education in Emergencies” activities to protect children and support their well-being when formal schools are closed.