AhlulBayt News Agency: UNICEF spokesperson James Elder warned that nearly two and a half years of Israeli assaults on Gaza’s education system have endangered an entire generation of children.
Elder stated that UNICEF is scaling up its educational response in Gaza as part of one of the world’s largest emergency learning operations.
He noted that around 60% of Gaza’s school‑aged children are currently unable to attend in‑person classes, adding that 90% of schools have been heavily damaged or completely destroyed.
He emphasized that before the current conflict, Gaza had some of the highest literacy rates globally, and education served as a pillar of pride, resilience, and advancement for generations.
Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva, Elder said this legacy is now in grave danger, with schools, universities, and libraries reduced to rubble, erasing years of progress. He stressed that the destruction is not only physical but a direct attack on children’s futures.
A recent UN analysis using satellite imagery from July found that at least 97% of Gaza’s schools have suffered damage of varying severity.
Elder announced that UNICEF is expanding its “Back to Learning” initiative, aiming to support 336,000 children across Gaza.
He underscored the urgent need to bring children back to learning spaces—often tents or community centers—since waiting for permanent school reconstruction is not realistic.
“Learning saves lives,” Elder said, explaining that UNICEF’s learning centers provide safety in dangerous environments.
These centers also offer essential information, daily structure, and access to health, nutrition, and protection services, along with proper sanitation and handwashing facilities.
Most UNICEF‑supported centers will operate in central and southern Gaza due to the widespread destruction in the north.
Elder said demand for these centers far exceeds available capacity. During a recent visit, he witnessed dozens of parents waiting outside, pleading for their children to be admitted.
He explained that it costs roughly $280 per child per year to enroll in a UNICEF‑supported center, including psychosocial care. To reach 336,000 children this year, UNICEF urgently requires $86 million.
“That’s about what the world spends on coffee in just one or two hours,” he remarked.
Elder stressed that the Back to Learning program is not merely about survival—it is about safeguarding Gaza’s future.
He said the initiative aims to preserve hope, restore children’s sense of normalcy, dignity, and direction, and help turn that hope into a real path toward rebuilding.
In related developments, UNICEF announced Tuesday that, for the first time in two and a half years, it has succeeded in delivering school supplies into Gaza—materials previously blocked by Israeli authorities.
The shipment included thousands of items such as pencils, notebooks, and wooden play blocks.
Elder added that UNICEF has recently delivered thousands of recreational kits and hundreds of boxes of school materials, with plans to send an additional 2,500 kits next week.
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