In Gaza, children are 'far from' returning to school, says a UNICEF official

In Gaza, the education system is "flat" after two years of war, and most children are "in the streets, without occupation," reports the regional director for the Middle East at UNICEF. Edouard Beigbeder, who just returned from Palestinian territories, emphasizes, "This is the third year without school." He warns that if a real transition for all children doesn't begin by February, they will enter a fourth year, leading to a lost generation.

Since the ceasefire on October 10, "UNICEF and other education partners have managed to bring back about one-sixth of the children who should be going to school into temporary learning spaces," he adds. However, due to the precarious situation, he speaks of learning rather than education: "85% of schools are destroyed or unusable," with many still standing being shelters for the displaced.

Additionally, children and teachers face displacement due to hostilities, and many teachers are preoccupied with finding food and water for their families. In this territory, where nearly half the population was under 18 before the war initiated by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the educational system was already strained by overcrowding.

Of the schools managed by the Palestinian Authority, around 80 out of 300 need rehabilitation, according to Beigbeder, "142 are completely destroyed," and "38 are completely inaccessible" as they are located in areas where the Israeli army has retreated.

Temporary learning centers are set up in schools or near displacement camps, sometimes in tents or windowless prefabs. Often, there are just chairs, cardboard, or wooden planks serving as tables. Beigbeder notes, "I've never seen everyone seated properly," describing children sitting on mats or carpets. They write on recycled slates, sometimes pieces of black stone or plastic sheets.

As for classes, there are "three days of education in shifts, so a few hours in the morning or afternoon," focused on three subjects: mathematics, writing, and reading. "It's really to maintain contact with education, to keep them afloat," comments Beigbeder, who is engaged in a "race against time" to "make education a priority again."

It's also about "rebuilding social cohesion" for children, almost all of whom are traumatized and need psychosocial support. In 2024, pediatrician Hanan Balkhy from the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized the devastating effects of the conflict on children, noting an "enormous impact on mental health" and "huge post-traumatic stress syndromes."

Meanwhile, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) announced on October 18 that it would launch "the new school year online," aiming to reach 290,000 students. On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that UNRWA, "which has become a subsidiary of Hamas... would play no role" in the post-war scenario. Israel has banned this agency, accusing some of its employees of participating in the October 7 attack, allegations deemed unsubstantiated by the International Court of Justice.

One of UNICEF's priorities is for Israel to allow the entry of materials needed to establish semi-permanent schools, as well as school supplies deemed non-essential. On Thursday, WHO stated that humanitarian aid entering Gaza remains "insufficient," and "hunger is still present."

"How can you rehabilitate classrooms if you don't have cement? And most importantly, we need notebooks, books, rulers, blackboards, at a minimum," insists Beigbeder. "Food is survival. Education is hope," he says.

In this spirit, he expresses being "astonished" by how Gazan society is "immediately trying to reorganize, clean up the rubble, reopen small shops, and attempt to bring life back." He is also "shocked" by the extent of the destruction: "You cannot imagine 80% of a territory being entirely flat or destroyed, with only 'islands of construction here and there.'"