In Tebnine, South Lebanon, dozens of girls live in a home still marked by bombing. An agency report published on November 5, 2026 describes their education and projects, despite the damage and insecurity. Other recent evidence shows how fragile the maintenance of this daily life remains.
In Tebnine, school despite the damage
The home accommodates children deprived of one or both parents, but also girls whose families cannot provide care. It provides the necessary uniforms, briefcases and meals for school. The larger ones are also pursuing studies.
In the testimonies gathered by an international agency, a 13-year-old girl recalls her desire to study medicine. A 19-year-old woman is undergoing training in interior decoration. These projects remain linked to the possibility of living and studying in a safer environment.
Always unusable rooms
In 2024, the children left the area before an Israeli strike on a nearby building caused heavy damage to the home. The work was only able to recover part of the space. The upper floor, where dormitories were located, remains degraded.
A separate report published on November 2 describes broken windows, damaged beds and objects left in the rooms. A few rooms on the lower level were arranged to accommodate the residents. The building does not yet have all its accommodation capacity.
According to the staff interviewed, the explosions also disrupt nights. Some children wake up and prepare to leave, fearing another evacuation. On the most difficult days, lack of sleep prevents them from sending them to school. Outdoor outings and games also depend on safety conditions.
These accounts describe a discontinuous daily: meals, classes and activities resume, and then the sounds of the war interrupt them. Returning to the home does not mean that children have returned to stable living conditions.
Assistance from peacekeepers and succession issues
Another report, produced on 27 October, documents the support of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. UNIFIL provided military beds. Soldiers, particularly Irish and Malaysian, participated in the rehabilitation of the premises. These material aids allowed to reopen part of the building.
Home leaders are concerned about the future of this support. Needs include food, clothing, medicine and education. Reparations also require resources that the institution struggles to collect.
The UNIFIL calendar deserves clarification. Resolution 2790 provides for the termination of its operational mandate on 31 December 2026. The withdrawal must then proceed gradually within one year. It is therefore not the simultaneous departure of all troops at the end of December.
However, this schedule does not guarantee the maintenance of each donation or local project. Home support depends on concrete support, while the mission is preparing for its reduction. For Tebnine’s teams, the search for relays should help to preserve the reception of girls and to continue the work in the still unusable rooms.
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