Children on the Edge
  • DONATE
    • The Big Give 2022
  • COUNTRIES
    • Country Overview
    • BANGLADESH >
      • Kutupalong
      • Cox's Bazar & Doharazi
    • INDIA
    • LEBANON
    • MYANMAR
    • UGANDA >
      • Jinja
      • Kyaka II
    • UKRAINE
  • ABOUT US
    • WHO WE ARE
    • Contact Us
    • 2022 Highlights
    • Annual Report
    • Awards
    • Meet the team
    • Our Story
    • Our Values
    • Our Partners
  • OUR WORK
    • OUR WORK Overview
    • Working on 'the Edge'
    • Safe Spaces
    • Child Rights
    • Refugee Education
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Cluster Learning In Uganda
    • Supporting Slum Communities
    • Tackling Caste Discrimination
    • Ending Child Sacrifice
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Get Our Email Updates
    • Autumn Raffle
    • Fundraise For Us
    • Challenge Events >
      • Virtual Challenge
      • Run The London Marathon
    • Schools
    • Trusts & Foundations
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • The Body Shop at Home
    • Volunteer
    • Shop
  • LATEST STORIES

WORKING ON 'THE EDGE' IN LEBANON

A pink button with the word, Donate written on it. You can click here to be taken to the Children on the Edge Donate page

REFUGEE CRISIS IN LEBANON

Half the Syrian population remains displaced over a decade into the Syrian crisis. UNHCR statistics show there are 5.6 million registered refugees in the region, with children making up half of these numbers. 

Lebanon remains the country with the largest number of refugees per capita, hosting an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees. With a population of just 4 million themselves, and dealing with a political and economic crisis, along with the pandemic; the Lebanese have the highest per capita concentration of refugees in the world, and have been struggling to accommodate this flood of arrivals.

​Despite the large refugee population, the last few years have seen a decrease in funding for refugees and a controversial policy by the country’s General Security to push refugees to return to Syria. 

An estimated 180,000 Syrian children are having to work to support their families rather than attend school and fewer than half of the 631,000 school-age refugee children in Lebanon have access to quality formal education. Those who can access the mainstream system are often subject to discrimination, abuse, language barriers and unsafe journeys to and from school.

Around a third of refugees (around 360,000) are located in the Bekaa Valley, often living in small makeshift or unofficial camps. Large camps are not permitted by the Lebanese government and as a result, informal settlements of 50-100 families have become commonplace. Across the country, refugees in the Bekaa Valley (and Akkar) face the most poverty, with parents often forced to take their children out of school and into full time work to earn a living. Many of the camps are still without basic services for children, including education.
A group of Syrian refugee children laughing for the camera from the informal settlement where they live in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
The informal camps in Bekaa Valley are home to around 360,000 Syrian refugees

​The Lebanese Government has been working with the UN to provide education for all. The main policy has been to enrol refugees into the existing public education system, creating a 2nd shift provision for refugees and encouraging integration.

This has not been without its problems. In many areas, refugees vastly outnumber the Lebanese students and there is not the capacity to provide for everyone who needs it. Within the rural Bekaa Valley, public schools are sporadically placed, meaning that access is difficult, and it is estimated that there are more than 250,000 refugee children out of school.

There have also been reports of safety issues, harassment, violence and discrimination, which has led to a high dropout rate. Refugee children that do continue to attend struggle with the new and different curricula, language barriers and lack of appropriate infrastructure. There is low teacher capacity, overcrowding, lack of adequate sanitation facilities and limited catch up programmes.
​

ECONOMIC TURMOIL

Lebanon has faced years of discontent and protests against economic turmoil, corruption and mismanagement in the government. Currently over 50% of Lebanese citizens are living in poverty and the large refugee and migrant worker populations have been hit the hardest.

​Since 2019, the Lebanese pound has lost 90 percent of its value, and annual inflation in 2020 was 84.9 percent. According to government statistics, the price of consumer goods has nearly quadrupled in the past two years. With the economy collapsing, the country is now facing shortages of food, fuel and medicine. 

 
The Lebanese government resigned last summer amidst public anger after the devastating Port explosion on August 4th 2020 that killed 200 people and injured thousands more. 

​All of these factors, faced by refugee children who are also coming to terms with their own trauma and distress, are continuing to create barriers to education. Consequently there is a need for provision of informal education for children living within the refugee camps.
A blue button with the word, Donate written on it. You can click here to be taken to the Children on the Edge Donate page
​

​Children on the Edge has been supporting education for 
300 Syrian refugee children in Lebanon since 2015.

Initially based in four tent schools, but now in one central building in Zahle, we provide safe, fun classrooms, vocational and IT courses and a large outdoor playspace. 
A pink button with the word, Donate written on it. You can click here to be taken to the Children on the Edge Donate pagePicture
A simple classroom with 10 young boys aged around 10 and their male teacher. The children are in the middle of a PE class and are jumping in the air and smiling. You can click on the image to go back to page detailing how we help support children in Lebanon
Our work in Lebanon is kindly funded by the Players of People's Postcode Lottery.​
An image showing the logo for the people's postcode lottery. It says supported by the players of people's postcode lottery in coloured writing on the left and awarded funds from Postcode Global Trust on the right in gold writing

YOU MIGHT LIKE

A group of 17 Syrian students who are close together and holding up their graduation certificates. They are all smiling. Three adult teachers are standing behind the students. You can click this image to read a story about the children heading back to school after lockdown in Lebanon.
SYRIAN REFUGEES TELL US WHAT THEY LOVE ABOUT SCHOOL.
Hoda, a young Syrian girl wearing a black headscarf. She has her arms round two younger siblings, one on each side. Hoda is smiling. Behind her you can see five other children, young boys. They are standing on a muddy road. You can click on the image to read Hoda's story
MEET HODA WHO ATTENDS THE SCHOOL WE SUPPORT IN ZAHLE.
Nuna who runs our partner organisation in Lebanon. She is standing at a table outside with piles of paper and a laptop. She is looking down and concentrating, reading something on the paper and holding a pen ready to write. A group of people surround her, all wearing facemasks. Nuna is at the table with another woman, both of them wearing facemasks. You can click on the image to go to a story about the current crisis in Lebanon.
READ AN UPDATE FROM OUR PARTNERS ABOUT THE CRISIS IN LEBANON.
Support Us
A white circle with an icon of a hand with three small trees growing out of it. This is a symbol of giving donations on a regular basis and how this helps good thing to grow. You can click this image to be taken to our donation page.
GIVE MONTHLY
White circle with icon of an envelope. You can click this image to be taken to a sign up form to receive our email news.
RECEIVE OUR EMAILS
White circle with icon of a hand putting a coin into a money box. You can click this image to be taken to our donation page.
MAKE A DONATION
JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Click to donate

Get Involved

Corporate Partnerships
​
​Email updates
Fundraise 
Give Monthly
Grant Giving Organisations
​The Body Shop At Home
Volunteer

aBOUT US

Who We Are
​​​How  We Spend Your Money
Latest Stories
​Our Story
​​Our Work
Accessibility  | Annual Report  | Contact Us | Jobs | Media Centre | ​Privacy Policy | Resources | ​Safeguarding | Shop | ​Strategic Partners 
For raffle ticket holders | Take Part | Rules and Prizes | Complaints | Responsible Gambling ​
Logo which says 'Registered with Fundraising Regulator'

Registered charity no. 1101441
REGISTERED COMPANY No. 4996130 

​Children on the Edge, 5 The Victoria, 25 St Pancras, Chichester,  West Sussex, PO19 7LT, UK | 01243 538530 | communications@childrenontheedge.org 
  • DONATE
    • The Big Give 2022
  • COUNTRIES
    • Country Overview
    • BANGLADESH >
      • Kutupalong
      • Cox's Bazar & Doharazi
    • INDIA
    • LEBANON
    • MYANMAR
    • UGANDA >
      • Jinja
      • Kyaka II
    • UKRAINE
  • ABOUT US
    • WHO WE ARE
    • Contact Us
    • 2022 Highlights
    • Annual Report
    • Awards
    • Meet the team
    • Our Story
    • Our Values
    • Our Partners
  • OUR WORK
    • OUR WORK Overview
    • Working on 'the Edge'
    • Safe Spaces
    • Child Rights
    • Refugee Education
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Cluster Learning In Uganda
    • Supporting Slum Communities
    • Tackling Caste Discrimination
    • Ending Child Sacrifice
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Get Our Email Updates
    • Autumn Raffle
    • Fundraise For Us
    • Challenge Events >
      • Virtual Challenge
      • Run The London Marathon
    • Schools
    • Trusts & Foundations
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • The Body Shop at Home
    • Volunteer
    • Shop
  • LATEST STORIES