UNICEF Warns Israeli Attacks on Education in Gaza Jeopardize Entire Generation
JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) James Elder said that Israel's attacks targeting education in the Gaza Strip, Palestine for almost two and a half years have endangered an entire generation.
Speaking at a midweek U.N. press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Elder announced the organization is working to expand education in the Gaza Strip as part of one of the world's largest emergency education efforts.
Elder warned that 60 percent of school-age children in Gaza are currently not receiving face-to-face education, noting that 90 percent of schools have been damaged or destroyed, reported WAFA (28/1).
Furthermore, he said, before the war, Palestinian citizens in Gaza had some of the highest literacy rates in the world, and that education was a source of pride, resilience, and progress for previous generations.
The UN official said. this heritage is now under heavy attack, with schools, universities, and libraries destroyed and years of progress erased.
Elder emphasized, this is not only physical destruction but also an attack on the future itself.
The latest UN assessment based on satellite imagery from July found that at least 97 percent of schools had been damaged.
Elder said UNICEF will expand the back-to-school program to reach 336,000 children, stressing that the top priority is to get children back to education without delay, often through tents in communities and community centers, as they cannot wait for permanent buildings to be built.
He emphasized learning to save lives, noting that UNICEF education centres provide safe spaces in often dangerous and insecure areas.
According to Elder, these centers restore access to vital information, provide routines for children, connect girls and boys with health, nutrition, and protection services, and include decent toilets and handwashing facilities.
He added that most of the educational facilities supported by UNICEF will be located in central and southern Gaza, as access to the north remains very difficult due to the widespread damage suffered in recent months.