The UNESCO has begun deploying emergency measures across the Middle East as violence escalates in the region, focusing on protecting education personnel and institutions, supporting cultural professionals and heritage sites, and strengthening the safety of journalists. While discussions with Member States continue to expand and adapt the response, several urgent actions are already being implemented on the ground.
Millions of children across the region are experiencing severe disruptions to their education, with many schools damaged, closed, or repurposed as shelters. So far, at least 65 schools have been damaged, and attacks on educational facilities and universities have led to casualties among both teachers and students. In response, UNESCO is providing emergency assistance to establish temporary learning spaces, strengthen online teaching capacity, and distribute learning kits so that displaced students can continue their education remotely. The organization is also offering guidance and resources to support mental health and resilience among students, teachers, and parents, emphasizing that psychological safety is essential for effective learning. UNESCO plans to expand psychosocial support to all countries that request it, recognizing its role in preventing school dropout, marginalization, and long-term mental health challenges.
At the same time, UNESCO has activated an emergency programme to assist cultural professionals and protect heritage in countries affected by the violence. In Lebanon, for example, efforts are already underway to safely transfer and store artefacts from archaeological sites in secure locations following the recent escalation of hostilities. The organization will also expand online training for heritage professionals and authorities working to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property, while simulation exercises will help museums and cultural institutions better prepare for potential emergencies.
UNESCO continues to monitor the situation closely and has strongly condemned attacks on education, reiterating the need to protect schools, universities, students, teachers, and education personnel in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2601, which calls for the safeguarding of education during armed conflict. The organization has also condemned attacks targeting culture professionals and institutions. The Middle East contains around 125 World Heritage sites spread across 18 countries—nearly 10 percent of all such sites worldwide—making the protection of the region’s cultural legacy especially urgent. Satellite monitoring and field reports have already indicated damage to several heritage properties and other culturally significant locations, while many additional sites remain at high risk due to their proximity to ongoing hostilities.
To support protection efforts, UNESCO has shared the coordinates of sites protected under international conventions as well as nationally significant cultural locations, and it is prepared to conduct on-site assessments when conditions allow. The organization will continue assisting national authorities in documenting damage, securing vulnerable areas, stabilizing structures, and safeguarding museum collections and archaeological holdings.
Beyond education and culture, UNESCO is also preparing initiatives to strengthen scientific cooperation related to water supply systems and to enhance monitoring and protection for journalists and media facilities operating under intense pressure amid rising misinformation and disinformation.
UNESCO has called for stronger international mobilization and additional funding to scale up emergency interventions in the region. The organization has urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and take every possible measure to protect education, culture, media, science, and the environment—key pillars for stable and resilient societies. UNESCO also reminded governments and stakeholders of their obligations under international legal frameworks, including the 1954 Hague Convention and the 1972 World Heritage Convention, which mandate the protection of cultural property, educational institutions, journalists, and heritage during times of conflict.
