IBBY Children in Crisis: Lebanon

October 2024: Crisis relief through books in Lebanon

The rapidly escalating conflict in Lebanon, marked by heavy airstrikes and attacks along the southern and northern borders, as well as in the Beirut suburbs, has displaced nearly 1 million people. Among them, approximately 300,000 are children who now reside in the vicinity of schools, mosques, churches, and shelters that have opened their doors to provide shelter. The Lebanese Board on Books for Young People (LBBY) has stepped up during this crisis to support these vulnerable children by providing psychological relief and recreational activities. This initiative aligns with LBBY’s core mission of bringing children closer to books—even in the most challenging circumstances.

The main goals of this initiative are to:

Alleviate some of the stress and trauma these children are experiencing.
Promote a nurturing and creative environment using books and storytelling.
Ensure that children, even in times of crisis, remain connected to emotional support resources.

LBBY successfully gathered 130 volunteers from across Lebanon to work with displaced children in various regions. The volunteers have received a free training session focusing on how to engage displaced and traumatized children through books and storytelling. Each volunteer/ group of volunteers will soon receive a package containing educational and recreational resources for the children, including books in English and Arabic and art supplies to facilitate creative expression during bibliotherapy sessions. The project is developped by LBBY with the support of the Lebanese NGO Assabil and Book Aid International.

Thanks to your generosity, the scope of this project can expend, more relief packages (estimated in 70 USD a piece) can be prepared and distributed to displaced children.

March 2025 Update

In an interview with Book Aid International, Shereen Kriedieh, President of IBBY Lebanon (LBBY), shares how a bibliotherapy programme supported by the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund and Book Aid International used books to help children process trauma. With over 180 volunteers trained and book packs distributed in Arabic and English, stories became safe havens, tools for healing, and bridges of connection in a time of conflict.

“Books created opportunities for children to engage in shared experiences. Reading sessions, storytelling circles, and discussions fostered a sense of community – children interacted with others who had faced similar hardships.” says Shereen. Read the full interview below.

March 2025: Shereen Kriedieh Interview with Book Aid International

Rebuilding lives through the power of reading

During the recent war in Lebanon, Shereen led a bibliotherapy programme to help children cope with the trauma they faced. In this blog, she reflects on the lessons learned and the power of books during conflict.

My name is Shereen Kriedieh and I am the President of Lebanese Chapter of International Board on Books for Young People (LBBY).

In times of war or crisis, humanitarian organisations typically focus on providing food, shelter, and hygiene essentials. While these are critical, psychosocial support and education are often deprioritised. This oversight can have long-term consequences, as children are left to navigate trauma without adequate emotional or psychological support.

So when the war broke out in our country we refocused on this unseen crisis. We launched the Children in Crisis project and trained over 180 volunteers in how to use books to support children displaced by the war. We gave them packs which included Arabic books and Book Aid International donated books in English, as well as basic art materials which they used to support children in their communities.

Here is where NGOs that promote reading and distribute books also played a crucial role. By equipping volunteers with books and materials, these organisations helped support the mental and emotional well-being of children.

Books have always been a source of knowledge, inspiration, and solace. During times of conflict, they take on an even greater role, serving as a form of psychological refuge and a means of healing. Bibliotherapy, the use of books as a therapeutic tool, was an essential component in helping children understand and process their experiences during the war.

Books provided children with an escape from their immediate surroundings. Through literature, they could travel to new worlds, immerse themselves in different realities, and temporarily distance themselves from the stresses of conflict. This imaginative journey was not mere entertainment; it offered a powerful coping mechanism.

Reading also allowed children to see that the emotions and problems they were experiencing were not unique to them. This sense of universality—that others have felt similar fear, sadness, or uncertainty—helped normalise their emotions and reduce feelings of isolation.

Furthermore, books created opportunities for children to engage in shared experiences. Reading sessions, storytelling circles, and discussions fostered a sense of community – children interacted with others who had faced similar hardships. This social interaction was inherently therapeutic, as it reinforced the idea that they are not alone. Recreational activities that accompany reading, such as drawing or dramatization, further enhanced these therapeutic benefits, allowing children to externalise their fears and anxieties in a safe and structured environment.

Volunteers played a vital role in this process, and books provided them with the tools they needed to engage with children effectively. A well-curated selection of books, along with supplementary materials like crayons and papers, empowered volunteers to create meaningful experiences for the children they worked with. The impact of this method was profound, enabling organisations to reach a significant number of children in a short period.

The combination of trained volunteers, diverse reading materials and structured activities created a holistic approach to healing.

Trust and flexibility were key factors in reaching as many children as possible. When organisations demonstrated adaptability, they were able to respond more efficiently to the evolving needs of children in crisis. Establishing trust within affected communities ensured that interventions were welcomed and supported. The rapid deployment of volunteers, facilitated by partnerships with educational institutions, further enhanced outreach efforts. Students of psychology, social work, and education, alongside experienced specialists, stepped in to provide invaluable support. Their dedication underscored the importance of local engagement in the healing process.

Partnerships were also instrumental in the success of these initiatives. Organisations like Book Aid International and the IBBY Crisis Fund provided essential resources and support, enabling a broader reach and greater impact. Their contributions reinforced the importance of books as a fundamental component of post-conflict recovery.

The collaborative efforts of local communities, NGOs, and international organisations highlighted the collective commitment to rebuilding lives through the power of reading.

As part of our future donations, we aim to support schools affected by the conflict, ensuring that children have access to quality books. This will help them understand their own feelings, connect with others, and foster a love for reading.”

Read the full article on the Book Aid International Blog here.

Past Projects

2020: Rebuilding libraries after Beirut explosion

2015: "Tell Me a Story" Project

2013: Syrian Children in Lebanon Bibliotherapy Project

Since 2013, IBBY Lebanon has brought relief to Syrian Refugees, specifically Syrian children caught up in the war and now refugees in Lebanon. The therapeutic programme used is called bibliotherapy and it was developed for Lebanese children after the Lebanese civil war and the war with Israel. The programme uses books, theatre and other methods to help children understand their own feelings, express them and recognise the feelings of others.

2016 Project Update Here

IBBY launched a worldwide appeal for funds to support the therapeutic programme using books, theatre, and other methods to help Syrian refugee children understand their own feelings, express them and recognise those of others. Julinda Abu Nasr from the Lebanese American University and John Chimanti from the American University of Beirut designed the project based on research done in Lebanon during the 16-year war that ended in 1990. The programme was administered to 5,000 children between the ages of 7-14, who were exposed to violence during the war and then again during the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006. In both situations the results achieved with children proved successful and rewarding. It was also shown that once the teachers were trained in the techniques presented on the academic or the psycho-social levels, it enhanced their teaching skills and their work with the children continued to improve.

The IBBY project began in January 2014 and initially took in displaced Syrian children whose ages range between 7-14 years. The programme had beneficial effects on the children and their aggressive and undisciplined behaviour was reduced. The children had a space to express their fears, anger, anxieties and other negative feelings through play, listening to stories, drawing and acting in a warm and loving atmosphere that is not threatening in any way. Teachers reported that the behaviour of the children taking part in the programme was greatly improved, which had a beneficial effect on their academic achievement and on the classroom environment in general.

With further funding from the IBBY Children in Crisis Fund the project was extended in 2015. Approval was received from the Lebanese Ministry of Education to implement the bibliotherapy project in two public schools that accommodate Syrian children. 19 teachers from Shakib Irslan Public School received training, of which 4 were selected with one coordinator to work with 100 children from the school. The sessions were on Friday mornings, the children’s free day from February to mid-May. The programme in the Burj Hammoud schools began a new session in March with 80 children four teachers and a coordinator. The sessions continued to mid-May, four hours every Saturday, the day off in this school. The children had an opportunity to relate their, often horrific, experiences. The teachers are trained to listen to the children, rather than talk at them, in the more usual authoritarian teaching style. Unfortunately the violence the children have witnessed often translates into aggression, anger and anxiety with other children. In the words of Julinda Abu Nasr, the project leader, the programme is lighting a candle in the dark tunnel they have had to cross to early in life. Through telling their own stories, being listened to, and reading stories with characters that set examples of good behaviour, the children learn to adapt their social skills, becoming more articulate and less aggressive. These changes are noticeable not only in the sessions but at home and at school.

IBBY Appeal for Syrian Children 2013

For Arabic version click here

The news that is coming from Syria is shocking, tragic and terribly sad. Refugees are pouring over the borders in their thousands and by the beginning of September there were estimated to be 723,000 refugees in Lebanon – for a country with a population of just under 4 million people that is a lot of extra people to cope with. By the end of this year the number of Syrian children refugees is expected to reach half a million in Lebanon.

Aid for shelter, food and medicines is steadily arriving from international donors, but as we know food and shelter is not enough for the children living through this terrible conflict. IBBY believes that children who are suffering from natural disaster, displacement, war and its aftermath, desperately need books and stories as well as food, shelter, clothing and medicines. These are necessities and are not mutually exclusive.

Aid agencies working with the children have noted that most of them are showing classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Even though the children are now hundreds of miles away from the front lines of the war, they are haunted by what they saw and what they lived through

The Lebanese Board on Books for Young People (LBBY) is a registered organization that is concerned with the well being of children and the promotion of reading. It has participated in the development and installation of numerous school libraries. It has also addressed the psycho-emotional needs of Lebanese children and young people after the civil war (1975-90) and the 2006 war with Israel through a special programme designed for that purpose.

The Nasma Learning and Resource Centre, established by Al Huda society for Social Care, is a registered organization that concentrates on the needs of underprivileged students from public schools with the motto “Give them an Opportunity.” Nasma has already worked with displaced Syrian children during the scholastic year 2011-2012 and has succeeded in helping them cope with the challenges they were meeting in their new environment.

Nasma and LBBY are particularly concerned with the thousands of Syrian children that have been arriving in Lebanon looking for refuge from the violence their communities are being exposed to. This state of affairs was no choice of theirs, but they were caught in it and many are suffering its consequences on their physical, social, emotional and academic levels. Together LBBY and Nasma will work to help these children and their families.

Dr Julinda Abu Nasr from the Lebanese American University and Dr John Chimanti from the American University of Beirut designed a project based on research done in Lebanon during the 16-year war, that ended in 1990. This activity is now being proposed for the current situation. The therapeutic programme using books, theatre, and other methods to help children understand their own feelings, express them and recognise those of others was administered to 5,000 children between the ages of 7-14, who were exposed to violence during the war and then the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006. In both situations the results achieved with children proved successful and rewarding.

It was also shown that once the teachers were trained in the techniques presented on the academic or the psycho-social levels, it enhanced their teaching skills and their work with the children continued to improve. It has also a rippling effect since the trainees can teach others the techniques they learn.

2007: Conflict Management for traumatized children of war in Lebanon

The project on Conflict Management for Traumatized Children of War in Lebanon has been an interesting project indeed. Implementing it was a challenging task where many difficulties were encountered for the lack of security in the areas where we were working, but the results achieved are rewarding. It took sometime to get started because of the mass destruction left by the war and the delay in starting the school year, 2006-2007. Once we started we trained thirty two teachers from 16 different schools that I reported on in the first progress report.

Recruitment and Training

In November of the school year 2007-2008, the Lebanese Section of IBBY (LBBY), in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs, reestablished contacts with the schools after the summer break of June to October. The political situation was less turbulent than the previous year. Contacts went on more smoothly and 22 new teachers and two social workers from 18 schools and two social centers were recruited for training. Training took place on December 6th and 7th in the Hadath Social Center for Training that belongs to the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Training went on smoothly and teachers and social workers received the project manuals along with the work books for children, a total of 1,800 books. They were also given lists of story books they can use to supplement the project. The puppet show was presented to 800 children recruited from the schools that are implementing the program. Each child was given a book and the 18 schools were given 50 story and science books each for their library.

Teachers who took part were excited about the project and they all promised to implement it in their respective schools. This was the condition to accept them for training. Some school principals asked if we could train more of their teachers in the skills we were teaching. We promised that we will try to find the means to do that after we are through with this project.

Collaboration

Contacts with the Ministry of Education had been done last year to get approval for working with public schools. This year we went a step further by asking the Unit of Guidance and Counseling in the Ministry of Education about training their Educational Counselors, who have access to all the elementary schools in the country, in the skills we were presenting to teachers in selected schools. Our argument was that they would be able to train the teachers in all the elementary public schools across the country. It took a few months to convince all those concerned and get all the necessary permits for the task. Finally we were given approval to proceed.

With the blessings of the Director General of Education and the assistance of the Director of the Unit of Guidance and Counseling a two day training workshop took place in the Ministry of Education on the 27th and 28th of February, 2008. The whole team of thirty three educational advisors across the country took part in the workshop. They were given the manuals, the work books and the lists of story books that could be used to supplement the project, along with the names of publishing houses where these books may be found. Each Counselor also received a set of 25 teachers' manuals and 100 workbooks. The Counselors were very receptive and happy to get all this and especially the lists of story books that they will use in different activities and recommend to the school librarians they work with.

A project of this nature on the country level needs a larger budget than the one we have but now it is the government's responsibility to pick it up from here. We planted the seeds and it is up to them to nourish it and see it grow. They are aware of the great need for this kind of a project so I hope that funds would be secured to implement it on a larger scale.

Supervision

Telephone calls and spot visits were made to the schools that are implementing the project. It is rewarding to see that most of them are trying their best to provide time for it despite their demanding schedules. Most of the schools are providing one hour a week but some are managing to give two hours. Another interesting observation is the fact that some of the schools are involving parents to some extent in helping to solve the problems that their children are facing.

The educational counselors are also working hard with the schools. I asked them to submit a report at the end of the school year, in June, to evaluate the impact of the project. We provided them with a form to fill indicating any changes in children's behavior. Preliminary reports from teachers and supervisors indicate positive progress in social relations and individual behavior.

Conclusion

It is rewarding to achieve successful results after hard work. It is true that getting permits to get started and convincing those in decision making positions to believe in the value of this kind of a program was tough, but it was worth the effort. The feedback we are getting from teachers is encouraging indeed. They can see improvement in children's behavior which gives them personal satisfaction. They feel that through their help the children are changing their unacceptable behavior in solving problems and replacing it with more socially accepted ways. They realize that they are protecting these children from delinquency and other major problems in the future.

I would like to do much more because the needs in the country are great but I keep reminding myself that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

Submitted by Julinda Abu Nasr

LBBY, Lebanon, April 2008