Gaza: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has launched an ambitious campaign to reintegrate 336,000 children into the education system within the Gaza Strip. The initiative comes as a response to the detrimental impact of Israeli attacks on the region's educational infrastructure over the past two and a half years, which has left 60% of school-age children without access to in-person learning. Additionally, 90% of schools in Gaza have suffered damage or destruction.
According to Jordan News Agency, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder addressed the press in Geneva, outlining the expansion of the organization's Back to Learning program. Elder emphasized the urgency of returning children to educational settings, which may include temporary structures like tents and community centers, bypassing the wait for new school buildings.
Elder highlighted the life-saving potential of education, noting that learning centers not only provide academic instruction but also offer safe environments, sanitation facilities, and essential daily routines. These centers also connect children to vital health, nutrition, and protection services.
The initiative will primarily focus on the central and southern regions of Gaza, where conditions are more manageable compared to the extensively damaged northern areas. Elder disclosed that educating a child in a UNICEF center costs approximately $280 annually, and that $86 million is needed urgently to support 336,000 children this year.
UNICEF's program aims to instill hope, routine, and dignity in Gaza's children. The organization has successfully delivered school and recreational supplies to Gaza for the first time in two and a half years, including pens, notebooks, and wooden blocks. Plans are in place to supply an additional 2,500 school kits in the coming week.