Dorothy Klaus, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, indicated reports that "the schools belonging to the agency (there are two school complexes under UNRWA in Ain al-Hilweh, consisting of 8 schools) have suffered severe damage, and it will take months to repair them." She noted that "it is impossible to access tens of thousands of textbooks stored inside these schools for distribution." In an interview with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, she emphasized the "urgent need for armed groups to vacate UNRWA schools immediately so the agency can assess the needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation and start rebuilding a safe educational environment." She expressed hope for the ongoing Lebanese-Palestinian mediation process to facilitate the evacuation of its schools in Ain al-Hilweh, end the conflict, and restore peace and stability to the camp.
Regarding the alternative plans the agency is working on, Klaus explained that "the school year is expected to start in the first week of October. With schools still occupied and the need for repairs, time is running out quickly. Therefore, we have begun looking into temporary and alternative solutions to ensure that all children in the camp do not miss out on education." She confirmed that "we are making necessary arrangements to temporarily accommodate children in UNRWA schools outside the camp,” stressing that “these are temporary measures that can be resorted to until the schools inside the camp are deemed safe for children to return, and necessary repair and reconstruction activities are carried out."
