BEIRUT, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Palestinian refugees in Lebanon fear that recent UNRWA’s school closures and relocations are not isolated moves, but the start of a gradual reduction in the agency’s educational network.
UNRWA’s decision to close Rafah School in Tripoli and al‑Bireh School in Burj al‑Barajneh refugee camp has renewed the debate over the future of Palestinian education in Lebanon, particularly amid UNRWA’s funding crisis and mounting pressure on its essential services.
The Palestinian Democratic Youth Union (Ashad) in Lebanon said that shutting down two UNRWA schools in quick succession sets a “dangerous precedent,” warning that “continuing down this path will push Palestinian education into a deeper crisis.”
The union affirmed that such closures would lead to classroom overcrowding and add burdens on Palestinian families, asking how many schools would survive if this new policy continued without a Palestinian response.
