DaysofPal – The head of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, has expressed alarm over the destruction of Gaza’s educational system, stating that Israel’s ongoing war has “completely destroyed” schools.
“Gaza schools have been completely destroyed, people are living in the rubble, and the main concern on a daily basis is finding food and water,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, in a video posted on X.
Despite the destruction, Lazzarini stressed that the agency remains operational: “Our schools are open, our health centers are running, and we continue to deliver critical services to the population.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, he described the situation as “catastrophic in every sense,” warning of a looming generational loss. Children in Gaza, he noted, are missing school for the third or fourth consecutive year, having already endured the COVID-19 pandemic before October 7, 2023.
“Education has always been a source of pride for Palestinians,” Lazzarini emphasized. “Their land and homes have been taken from them, but education has never been taken away. An attack on education is an attack on Palestinian identity and history.”
He called for education to resume immediately once a ceasefire takes effect in order to return nearly 700,000 children in Gaza to classrooms.
UNRWA has previously warned that Gaza’s education system is on the brink of total collapse. Nine out of ten schools in the enclave, including those run by UNRWA, now require complete reconstruction before they can be used again.
Higher education has suffered an equally severe toll. Israeli attacks have destroyed more than 63 university buildings, while over 172 government schools have been completely demolished.
Another 118 government schools were partially damaged, alongside more than 100 UNRWA schools that were bombed and sabotaged.
Lazzarini underscored that the destruction of schools not only deprives children of their basic right to education but also threatens the survival of a cornerstone of Palestinian society.
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