Tuesday, Aug 26, 2014
Beirut Children in Gaza are not the only ones deprived of the basic right of education. The Middle East has seen, especially in the past three years, a sharp rise in conflict due to changing political climates, rebellions against authoritarian leadership and the rise of Islamist extremists. Conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Libya have severely restricted children’s access to education and refugees fleeing to other countries have put a significant strain on the resources of their host countries. Experts warn of a ‘lost generation’ with shocking and deeply troubling statistics, paricularly as a result of the three-year-old Syrian civil war. Lebanon is home to the largest refugee population in the world. This year the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has crossed over the one million mark, meaning one out of every four people in Lebanon are Syrian. Thousands of children are forced to work to support their families. According to UNICEF, one out of 10 Syrian refugees work, with the number probably higher in Lebanon. The streets of Beirut are conspicuously dotted with children peddling chewing gum, flowers or tissues. Over 145,000 Syrian refugee women have become head of their household after losing their husbands in the conflict. This means that children, even those lucky few that have access to education, will be forced to work in order to help their families survive. Children often work long grueling hours, some over 10 hours a day. Lebanese authorities are ill-equipped to address the problem of Syria’s child refugees, advocates say. UNICEF has warned of a “lost generation” of Syrian children who are missing out on years of education. As of September 2013, 270,000 school-aged Syrian children were registered with UNHCR in Lebanon. A recent education assessment found that 80 per cent of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon were not in school. In Jordan, with a population of just over 6 million, has absorbed more than half a million Syrian refugees since 2011. As of September 2013, a total of 187,675 school-aged Syrian refugee children were registered with UNHCR: 44,649 in camps, and 143,026 in host communities. According to Ministry of Education data, 83,232 Syrian children were enrolled in formal education; 56 per cent, therefore, were not receiving formal schooling.
By Layelle Saad GCC/Middle East Editor
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