UNESCO Backs Lebanon’s Recovery Through Education and Heritage

El-Enany concluded his first official visit to Lebanon on 20 August 2026 after meeting students, teachers, heritage professionals, national authorities and UN colleagues, while visiting important cultural sites in Tripoli and Tyre.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany has reaffirmed the organization's support for Lebanon as the country works through a difficult period of recovery, placing education, cultural heritage and opportunities for young people at the centre of efforts to build greater resilience. El-Enany concluded his first official visit to Lebanon on 20 August 2026 after meeting students, teachers, heritage professionals, national authorities and UN colleagues, while visiting important cultural sites in Tripoli and Tyre.

His conversations with displaced students and teachers offered a close view of how disruption has affected education, yet classrooms also revealed a strong desire among children to continue learning and regain a sense of stability. UNESCO sees safe and supportive learning spaces as essential not only for recovering missed lessons, but also for helping young people rebuild confidence and prepare for their future.

$1 Million Grant to Strengthen Lebanon's Education System

Education support received a financial boost through a USD 1 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education, which UNESCO will use to strengthen national education planning and contribute to a system better prepared to withstand future crises. The investment comes at a time when displacement and wider pressures have placed additional strain on schools, teachers and students.

El-Enany described education as an investment in the knowledge, aspirations and potential of a new generation, linking the ability of children to learn today with Lebanon's prospects for recovery in the years ahead. His visit emphasized that rebuilding education requires more than restoring access to classrooms, since students also need environments where they feel secure, supported and able to reconnect with learning after periods of uncertainty.

Historic Sites Could Create New Opportunities for Communities

Cultural heritage formed another major part of the mission, with UNESCO exploring how historic places can support jobs, skills and community life rather than being treated only as monuments requiring preservation. In Tripoli, El-Enany visited Khan Al-Askar, a historic site that could become a centre for skills development and employment, particularly for young people and women artisans.

He also toured the Rachid Karami International Fair, the UNESCO World Heritage property designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, including the Grand Cover, Experimental Theatre, Water Tower, Panoramic Restaurant, Monumental Arch and Open-Air Theatre. UNESCO has allocated support from the World Heritage Fund for urgent conservation work on the Water Tower and for strengthening Lebanese expertise, while the wider site holds potential as a space for creativity, cultural exchange and social connection.

Connecting restoration with livelihoods could give heritage a more active role in Lebanon's recovery, allowing conservation projects to protect cultural identity while creating skills and opportunities for people living around these historic places.

Emergency Support Begins for Tyre's Endangered Heritage

The mission continued to Tyre, the UNESCO World Heritage property recently added to the List of World Heritage in Danger, where El-Enany visited the Monumental Triumphal Arch, Roman Road, Al-Bass Necropolis and Aqueduct, and Roman Hippodrome alongside Lebanese officials and heritage experts.

UNESCO announced an initial contribution from its Heritage Emergency Fund to begin immediate work at Tyre. The support will cover damage assessment, stabilization of vulnerable structures, protection of archaeological remains and mosaics, and development of national expertise, with particular attention given to young Lebanese heritage professionals who can carry this knowledge into future conservation work.

These emergency measures are also intended to prepare the ground for Tyre's longer-term recovery and cultural revitalization, keeping its archaeological heritage connected with education, identity, local development and community resilience rather than allowing damage from the current crisis to become permanent loss.

El-Enany also visited UNESCO's Regional Office in Beirut, meeting staff working across education, culture, sciences, communication and information, and administration. Discussions with the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Imran Riza, reinforced the importance of coordinated international action as Lebanon moves from immediate emergency needs toward sustained recovery.

As a founding Member State of UNESCO, Lebanon holds a significant place in the organization's history. The two-day visit reflected a broader approach to recovery in which protecting ancient sites and helping children return to meaningful learning are closely connected: both preserve what communities value, strengthen people's ability to rebuild their lives and give younger generations greater confidence in the country's future.