DaysofPal- The UNICEF said on Saturday that children in the Gaza Strip continue to suffer from severe violations of their basic rights, particularly since the start of the Israeli genocide in October 2023. The organization stressed that the right to life, education, and healthcare has been deeply affected.
In a statement shared on the X platform, UNICEF highlighted that beyond the constant reporting on casualties and injuries, there is another critical perspective that often goes unnoticed: what children in Gaza say they want for themselves, expressed in their own voices.
The agency said it engaged with more than 1,600 children across Gaza to better understand their needs and aspirations. Their responses, it noted, were clear and simple: safety, shelter, schools, play, and access to hospitals.
UNICEF emphasized that listening to children’s voices is essential, adding that the Gaza they envision is one where they can grow up freely and safely, without fear or suffering.
A 14-year-old girl named Mayar described the hardships of daily life, saying no child should have to endure such conditions. She expressed hope for a Gaza with functioning hospitals, schools, and safe buildings. She also spoke about being injured during the war and the fear she still feels whenever she hears airstrikes.
Another child, 14-year-old Mohammed, said that children need real schools rather than temporary tents in order to feel like other children around the world. Amal, also from Gaza, shared her wish to play with her friends in a park without fear.
Efforts by UNICEF to support education have faced major challenges due to widespread destruction. At the end of January, the organization launched an initiative aimed at returning 336,000 children in Gaza to learning after more than two and a half years of war that has devastated the territory.
Ninety percent of schools have been destroyed, and sixty percent of school-age children do not receive an in-person education, according to UNICEF. The organization is working to reintegrate hundreds of thousands of children into education through temporary learning spaces set up in tents.
During a press conference in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said the priority is to return children to classrooms, even if those spaces are temporary, rather than waiting for new schools to be built.
He added that the cost of educating one child in UNICEF-supported centers is about $280 per year. Providing education for 336,000 children this year requires urgent funding of $86 million.
UNICEF warned that the destruction of 90 percent of Gaza’s schools represents an unprecedented educational crisis. Despite the scale of devastation, the organization said its programs aim to restore a sense of hope for children and provide a daily routine that helps rebuild dignity and purpose.
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