More than 76 percent of Gaza’s schools need “complete reconstruction or major rehabilitation” to be functional after months of Israeli attack, according to a new assessment shared by the United Nations Office for Coordination. humanitarian affairs.
Based on satellite images collected in May, the new Education Cluster assessment highlights a “continued increase in direct targeting of schools” in the besieged and bombed territory.
Of the school buildings used as shelters for displaced people in Gaza, 69 percent were directly hit or damaged in attacks and more than 96 percent of the schools directly attacked – 296 in total – were located in areas subject to the orders. Israeli military evacuation. added.
Israeli attacks on educational institutions in Gaza have not only “disrupted immediate educational activities, but have also eroded the foundations for sustainable societal growth and development,” Talal al-Hathal told Tel Aviv Tribune, director of the Al Fakhoura program at the Education Above All Foundation. .
“Targeting critical educational infrastructure destroys the hope of many Palestinians in Gaza, where education is an important and essential tool for survival and equality, contributing to better outcomes for Palestinians in their future lives,” said al-Hathal.
“Education is an essential tool for survival, empowerment and long-term development in the region, providing a path to a more stable and prosperous future.
“By targeting educational institutions, attackers suppress prospects for enlightenment, opportunity and progress, thereby exacerbating the cycle of despair and deprivation in the region. »
In April, UNICEF, the United Nations children’s agency, said eight out of ten schools in Gaza were damaged or destroyed and about 620,000 students were out of school. Nearly half of Gaza’s population is under 18, and its education system was already struggling after several wars and escalations since 2008.
“To be able to learn, you have to be in a safe space. Currently, most children in Gaza have brains that function despite trauma,” said child psychiatrist Audrey McMahon of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Younger children could develop permanent cognitive impairment due to malnutrition, while adolescents are likely to feel anger over the injustice they suffered, she said.
“The challenges they will face are immense and it will take a long time to recover. »
Al-Hathal called the targeting of educational institutions across Gaza “shameful as we consider the global education crisis where we see more than 250 million children out of school worldwide.”
Besides the destruction of buildings, students and teachers were also killed in the attacks which ravaged educational infrastructure and caused mental trauma to thousands of besieged students.
“The war will undoubtedly leave educational institutions, access to essential infrastructure and the regularity of the educational process in Gaza in a worse state than before the war,” al-Hathal said.
“With nearly 400 school buildings damaged in Gaza, the war has exacerbated the critical situation in the education sector. This damage is compounded by internal displacement, with these schools now serving as shelters and accommodating nearly four times their intended capacity, further burdening the already strained educational infrastructure.
It was not just schools that bore the brunt of the Israeli attack. Centers of higher education, including universities, have been completely paralyzed.
The University of Israel, located south of Gaza City, was demolished by Israeli forces, as seen in a video published by Israeli media in January. University authorities said Israel occupied and used the campus as a military base and detention center for months before destroying it.
“Community partnerships, mental health support, technological assistance and education advocacy are a number of initiatives that can help students and teachers in Gaza overcome current challenges,” he said. al-Hathal said.
