Every Sunday, the gymnasium along Beirut's airport highway echoes with the shouting and laughter of dozens of Syrian children enjoying a rare escape from a grim and confined life in exile. Of the one million Syrian refugees the U.N. says are living in Lebanon, more than half are under 18 years old. The monthlong Hoops program provides a safe environment where the children can blow off steam, as well as learn self-confidence and teamwork. Two-thirds of Syrian children in Lebanon do not attend school, according to U.N. figures, in part because the country's underfunded public education system has been overwhelmed by the new arrivals. On a recent Sunday, the children lined up to dribble through cones, shoot layups and learn cheers and stretches.

Source: ABC News February 23, 2017 06:45 UTC