With Lebanon easing COVID-related restrictions and schools preparing to welcome students again, UNIFIL supported last week nine public schools in the country’s south-eastern villages with critical school supplies and education materials.

The UNIFIL donation of furniture, computers, LCD projectors and interactive boards to the public primary schools will benefit nearly 2,500 students, teachers and other school staff.

At symbolic ceremonies in Houla, Markaba and Adaysseh on 11 June, UNIFIL representative Colonel Arh Budi Laksana, who is Deputy Commander at the UNIFIL Sector East Headquarters, handed over the school supplies and equipment to the representative of Ministry of Education, Catherine Saadeh.

UNIFIL Civil Affairs Officer Wael Chami, who oversaw the implementation of this support project, said the UN mission’s donation will improve educational infrastructure of the schools of the villages within the Jabal Amel Union of Municipalities, namely Blida, Adaysseh, Majdal Silm, Qabrikha, Markaba, Houla, Sowanneh, Tulin and Meis al-Jabal.

“By enhancing educational infrastructure and resources, the project will hopefully ease children’s return to schools,” said Mr. Chami.

Funded through UNIFIL’s Quick Impact Project (QIP) programme, the support follows request from local authorities and coordination with the Ministry of Education, the Nabatiyeh Governorate and the Lebanese Armed Forces.

UNIFIL QIPs are small-scale, rapidly implementable projects that aim to address some of the most pressing needs of the host population and support local authorities while strengthening links between UNIFIL and local communities. They are crucial for continued stability in the south.