The Gaza Strip's education system is on the verge of collapse after two years of brutal war.
Edward Bergbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, recently issued a stern warning:
If immediate action is not taken, a "lost generation" may emerge in Gaza-hundreds of thousands of children wandering in ruins and smoke, losing their future and hope.
Bergbeid, who had just returned to Jerusalem from the Palestinian territories, pointed out solemnly in an interview with AFP: "This is the third year that children have not set foot in school."
He added, “If we can’t February next year.Before the genuine reconstruction of education for all children is opened, the fourth year of out of school will be celebrated. The “lost generation” will no longer be a prophecy, but a cruel reality.”
The devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas has razed large areas of Gaza to the ground.
According to statistics, local More than 80%The infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, the vast majority of the population has experienced displacement at least once, and the public service system has been completely paralyzed.
Bergbede described: "Wherever you go, there are signs of destruction everywhere. It is hard to imagine that 80% of a land with a long civilization has now become ruins."
The turning point came in early October this year.
After the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States came into effect, UNICEF and its education partners were able to build up among the ruins The temporary “learning center”.
Currently, about one-sixth of school-age children can continue to study in these humble places. However, Bergbede admitted: "Children can only study three days a week, and the courses are limited to basic reading, mathematics and writing, which is far from the formal education we perceive."
These temporary learning centers are usually located next to school ruins or in displaced camps, mostly in tents with metal frames covered with plastic clothes, or in partial spaces of remaining buildings.
Teaching conditions are extremely difficult: chairs, cardboard boxes, and wooden boards are all used as desks, and children can only practice writing on recycled stone or plastic boards.
“I’ve never seen a classroom where the students can sit,” Bergbeder said sorrowfully, “most children can only sit on a mattress or carpet.”
Despite the glimmer of hope brought by the ceasefire agreement, the overall situation of Gaza's education system remains worrying. Data show that 85% of local schools have been completely destroyed or unusable.
Most of the remaining school buildings have been converted into temporary homes for displaced people, and continued population movements-many children and teachers have to move around to make a living-have made education reconstruction even worse.
Before the war, Gaza's education system was already overwhelmed, with about half of the population under the age of 18.
Today, this dilemma is getting worse.
Of the 300 schools in the West Bank managed by the Palestinian National Authority, about 80 need full renovation, 142 have been completely destroyed, and another 38 are "completely inaccessible" because they are located in areas controlled by the Israeli army.
Faced with such a predicament, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East announced the launch of the "New School Year E-Learning Program" on October 18th, aiming at providing distance education for 290,000 students.
However, the agency was accused recently by U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, calling it “a subsidiary of Hamas” and clearly stated that it would not allow the agency to play a role in Gaza after the war.
Bergbede emphasized that the most urgent tasks at present are Put education "first",Restoring the social cohesion of Gaza children by rebuilding the education system.
Almost all children in Gaza suffer from different degrees of psychological trauma and need specialized care. Psychological support services.
UNICEF points out that the top priority is to obtain permission to pass through the border port,Transportation of materials and teaching materials for the construction of semi-permanent school buildings was allowed to enter the country, however, as these materials are considered “non-essential” by Israel, they are still blocked outside the border.
Israel has repeatedly interrupted supplies to Gaza, which has led to famine in parts of Palestine.
The latest data from the World Health Organization shows that since the ceasefire, the amount of aid entering Gaza has not increased significantly, and the hunger situation has not been effectively alleviated.
“How do we repair classrooms without cement? more importantly, we need notebooks, textbooks and blackboards—the most basic conditions for educational reconstruction.”
Bergbeid's appeal is simple and urgent," Food sustains life, education carries hope.If we do not act now, we will lose not only a generation of opportunities to learn, but the future of peace and stability in the region as a whole.”
Among the broken walls of Gaza, the future of children is hanging by a thread. Every decision and action of the international community will determine whether the young life in this land will be reborn or fall into eternal loss.