{
  "id": 4622739,
  "title": "School starts soon in Lebanon but thousands still shelter in them during war",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/school-starts-soon-in-lebanon-but-thousands-still-shelter-in-them-4622739",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T09:53:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-displaced-schools-shelters-israel-war-e2fbcb914de19fd9b24e79498e219e43"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Tyre, southern Lebanon, school is set to begin on September 15, however, thousands of displaced individuals are still residing in public schools as temporary shelters. The majority of these families have fled villages in the south that have either been destroyed or are under Israeli control. One such family is Randa al-Taki, 51, and her daughter Fatima Khashab, 11. The family sleeps in a modest area within a school gymnasium, where Fatima assists her mother in tidying up.\n\nDespite the school year's imminent start, negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, as well as the U.S. and Iran, have been unsuccessful, leaving no political solution in sight for the displaced to return home. Education officials have devised a plan to reopen schools while preserving accommodations for families without a place to stay. However, the situation remains tense, as many fear the crisis may worsen. Fatima's mother, Randa, expresses uncertainty about her family's future, questioning whether they can return to their village or if the crisis will intensify. She also expresses concern over her children's education, unsure if they will continue learning this year or not.\n\nEducation in Lebanon has historically been a source of national pride, contributing significantly to the country's economy through educated young people working abroad and sending remittances. However, Lebanon's economy has been severely impacted by an economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and two wars. Since 2019, the country has faced a learning loss estimated at least four years for children, according to Nora Ingdal, the Lebanon country director for Save the Children. At its peak, half of the public schools in Lebanon were utilized as shelters, affecting over 250,000 students, as reported by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, a Qatar-based think tank.",
  "summary": "Displaced Randa al-Taki, 51, and her daughter Fatima Khashab, 11, arrange their clothes inside a makeshift room that was set on a basketball court inside a public school turned into a shelter for people whose villages in southern Lebanon were destroyed or occupied by Israeli forces, in Tyre, southern Lebanon, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) CORRECTION: Last name corrected to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "School starts soon in Lebanon but thousands still shelter in them during war",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/school-starts-soon-in-lebanon-but-thousands-still-shelter-in-them",
        "published": "2026-08-31T09:01:42.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}