In Mafraq, Jordan, children walked home through their settlement carrying new school bags. Inside were supplies for the year ahead, from notebooks and pencils to tools chosen for their grade. For families buying school essentials for several children, those costs can be difficult to meet all at once.
Through its Back to School 2026 distributions, Human Development Fund (HDF) provided school bags and supplies to 4,240 children across Jordan, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Egypt. The distributions took place between August 1 and September 22 for the 2026/2027 school year. In Jordan, 350 of the children also received school uniforms.
Each location had different needs. The teams adapted supplies to students’ ages and school requirements, working with local partners to identify children whose families needed assistance.
Jordan: bags for 1,400 children and uniforms for 350 girls
HDF distributed school bags to 1,400 children in Jordan: 700 girls and 700 boys, ages 6 to 17. The teams worked in Mafraq Governorate’s camps and informal settlements, Ain Al Basha, Baqaa Camp and Gaza Camp in Jerash.
Priority went to orphaned children, children from households headed by women, children with disabilities or special educational needs, Palestinian and Syrian refugee children, and Jordanian children from low-income families.
The kits matched each student’s grade. Younger children received pencils, erasers, sharpeners, coloring pencils and basic notebooks. Older students received subject notebooks, pens, geometry tools and folders.
The 350 uniforms went to girls with a documented school uniform requirement. Before buying them, the team collected sizes and confirmed the colors and designs required by the schools. Fittings and exchanges helped ensure the uniforms could be worn. Children unable to reach distribution points because of a disability received direct delivery or adapted arrangements.
Gaza: school supplies for 540 children
In Gaza, HDF provided 540 children with a school bag containing notebooks, coloring pencils, pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, a ruler and a pencil case.
The team prioritized students enrolled in the HDF school, followed by children from low-income families, orphaned children and children at risk of dropping out. War and displacement disrupted access, markets and scheduling, so staff worked with local partners to complete the deliveries.
South Lebanon: 300 children living in shelters
On September 1, HDF delivered school bags to 300 children living in ten shelters in the Tyre area of south Lebanon. The shelters were schools or institutes where displaced families were staying.
Each bag contained notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners and rulers, along with a water bottle and coloring materials. The packages also included a whiteboard and marker, modeling clay, a puzzle and hand sanitizer.
The team added more writing supplies than originally planned, including 24 pencils instead of 12 and five pens instead of four. These were practical supplies children could use as their families prepared for the school year while living away from home.
Yemen: 1,000 children across three governorates
Over seven days, HDF’s team in Yemen distributed school bags to 1,000 children across Aden, Lahj and Abyan governorates.
Priority went to orphaned children, children out of school, displaced children, and children whose parents had been injured or disabled in the war. The bags contained notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, crayons, colored pencils and a water bottle.
The preparation began with packing those supplies into individual bags. By providing the essentials together, the team helped families meet several school needs in one distribution.
Egypt: 1,000 children receive bags and supplies
In Egypt, HDF provided 1,000 children with school bags and supplies during distributions from late August into early September. The program prioritized children from low-income families, orphaned children and children at risk of dropping out.
The packages included notebooks for drawing, English and Arabic, alongside ruled, squared and lined notebooks. Children also received colored pencils, a pencil, a pen, a sharpener, a ruler, an eraser and a pencil case.
For families preparing for a new school year, the package brought together supplies children would need across their lessons.
How teams identified children for the distributions
HDF worked with local partners, including Yabreen, to identify children according to the program’s priorities. Teams checked registration lists to reduce duplication and help available supplies reach more children. Families signed for the packages they received.
The distributions addressed the cost of school essentials. They were one part of helping children prepare to learn, alongside the wider needs families face around access to schools, safety and stability.
Preparing for the next school year
In Lebanon and Egypt, more children met the program’s criteria than the available bags could cover. Teams prioritized the children they could serve within the available resources, leaving further needs unmet.
HDF plans to run the program again for the 2027/2028 school year and expand its reach across these five locations as funding allows.
For the 4,240 children included in these distributions, the new school year began with a bag and supplies of their own. Continued giving can help HDF extend that practical assistance to more families.
