DaysofPal- With the ongoing Israeli genocide approaching two years, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has issued a stark warning regarding the deteriorating state of education in Gaza.
Over 660,000 children have been out of school for three consecutive years due to the relentless violence, prompting fears of a “lost generation.”
“The war in Gaza is a war on children and it must stop. Children must be protected at all times,” stated UNRWA, emphasizing the urgent need for action to safeguard the enclave’s youth.
While the Ministry in the West Bank is running educational facilities, the process in Gaza remains closed.
The Palestinian Education Ministry reports nearly 700,000 students have had their education disrupted, with over 70,000 unable to take high school exams for the past two years.
Data from the ministry reveal that since October 2023, Israeli crimes have claimed the lives of at least 17,000 schoolchildren and over 1,200 university students in Gaza, injuring tens of thousands more.
In the West Bank, dozens of students have also been killed, wounded, or detained by Israeli forces during the same timeframe.
The impact extends beyond students, affecting educators as well, where almost 1,000 teachers and academic staff have been killed in Gaza, with thousands more injured or detained throughout the Palestinian territories.
Since October 2023, the Israeli bombardment has resulted in over 63,400 Palestinian deaths in Gaza.
But the damage to the education infrastructure pales in significance to the impact this conflict is having on children’s mental health and emotional well-being.
Even before this current Israeli war, more than half of parents and caregivers consulted across the Gaza Strip for a Save the Children study reported that their children had contemplated suicide and three out of five were self-harming.
The situation now will be significantly worse.
UNRWA alone is conducting 800 sessions every day across Gaza where children can be children for a moment and try to regain a sense of normality, even as the shelters themselves are attacked and the death toll among UNRWA staff reaches unprecedented levels in UN history.
The ongoing Israeli genocide has left the region devastated and facing severe famine conditions.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Additionally, the Israeli occupation is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.
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