The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has warned that intensifying regional conflicts have severely disrupted education across Arab states, affecting more than 100 million children and threatening long-term learning systems.
In a report released on Monday, the agency said at least 15 countries have been impacted, with 52 million school-age children experiencing disrupted learning due to school closures, limited access and a shift to remote education.
It noted that nearly 30 million children in the region were already out of school even before the recent escalation in violence.
The situation in the Gaza Strip was described as catastrophic, with 97.5 per cent of schools damaged or destroyed and more than 637,000 children out of education.
In Lebanon, the report said over 1,100 public schools are currently serving as shelters, while at least 570 others remain closed or located in conflict zones, affecting over 240,000 students.
Across affected countries, UNESCO said education systems are increasingly relying on emergency and hybrid learning models, often characterised by inequality in access and quality.
The agency also highlighted growing psychological distress among students and warned of rising risks of dropout and long-term learning loss.
In Syria, returning displaced populations have further strained already fragile school infrastructure, with overcrowding and limited capacity for re-enrollment.
In Iraq, about 7,500 schools serving two million learners have shifted to online learning, while some Gulf countries have adopted temporary closures and remote education measures.
UNESCO cautioned that without urgent intervention, the region could face a “lost generation” and irreversible human capital decline, adding that it is expanding emergency education support and calling for sustained international assistance.
