DaysofPal- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a major initiative to bring an estimated 336,000 children in the Gaza Strip back into education, describing the effort as one of the largest emergency education operations worldwide.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said nearly two and a half years of Israeli genocidal war on Gaza’s education system have placed an entire generation of children at risk, severely disrupting access to learning across the territory.
According to Elder, about 60 percent of school-age children in Gaza are currently unable to attend in-person classes, while roughly 90 percent of school buildings have been damaged or destroyed.
A UN assessment using satellite imagery from July found that at least 97 percent of Gaza’s schools have suffered some level of damage.
Speaking during the UN’s biweekly press briefing in Geneva, Elder said UNICEF is scaling up its “Return to Learning” program to reach hundreds of thousands of children.
He emphasized that the priority is to resume education immediately, often through temporary learning spaces established in tents, shelters, and community facilities.
“Children cannot wait for schools to be rebuilt,” Elder said, stressing that access to learning is lifesaving.
He noted that before the war, Gaza had among the highest literacy rates globally, with education representing resilience and progress.
That legacy, he warned, is now under threat as schools, universities, and libraries have been destroyed, erasing years of educational gains.
UNICEF-supported learning centers provide children with safe environments, daily routines, and access to essential services such as health care, nutrition, and child protection. The facilities are also equipped with sanitation infrastructure, including toilets and handwashing stations.
Most of these centers will operate in central and southern Gaza, as access to northern areas remains extremely restricted due to widespread destruction. Elder said demand for learning spaces far exceeds available capacity.
“During my visit to Gaza two weeks ago, I witnessed parents pleading outside learning centers for a place for their children,” he said.
UNICEF estimates the cost of educating one child at approximately $280 per year, including psychosocial support.
To support 336,000 children through the end of the year, the agency urgently needs $86 million in funding.
Elder compared the figure to global spending habits, saying it is equivalent to what the world spends on coffee in just one or two hours.
He described the initiative as an investment in Gaza’s future, aimed at preserving hope, restoring dignity, and giving children a sense of stability amid crisis.
In a related announcement, UNICEF said it has successfully delivered educational and school supplies into Gaza for the first time in more than two and a half years, after previous restrictions.
The shipment includes thousands of items such as notebooks, pencils, and play materials, with an additional 2,500 school kits expected to arrive next week.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=71706
