The General Secretariat of the Arab League (Palestine and Arab Territories Affairs Sector) held an emergency meeting today, Sunday, of the Council for Educational Affairs for Palestinians to discuss the severe challenges and urgent needs of the educational process in the State of Palestine, especially in Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli aggression. The meeting was attended by the Palestinian Minister of Education and Higher Education, Amjad Barham, and the Ambassador Saed Abu Ali, the Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Palestine and Arab Territories Affairs Sector at the Arab League, along with representatives from member Arab states.
The two-day meeting focused on ways to provide financial support to cover the costs of infrastructure and planned interventions in the short and long term (USD 300 million for temporary schools in the short term and USD 500 million for the long term).
The discussions also covered means to provide financial support for salaries and operational expenses to ensure the provision of basic needs, in addition to mechanisms to support the ministry’s efforts to raise the issue of education in Gaza in political, legal, and international educational forums. The meeting also reviewed Arab initiatives to support the resumption of education in Gaza and developing mechanisms for Arab children to engage in this targeted support, even on a modest individual level.
The situation for students in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict has severely impacted their education and overall well-being. The Israeli bombardment has directly hit over 200 schools, with significant damage necessitating major reconstruction or rehabilitation to make these facilities operational again. The scale of destruction includes both government-run and UN-run schools, significantly disrupting the education of approximately 625,000 students.
Students are facing profound uncertainty about their future, with many schools being used as shelters for displaced families or having been damaged in attacks. This has left students without access to formal education for extended periods. The psychological and emotional toll on these students is considerable, impacting their ability to pursue future educational and career goals. Young people in Gaza express deep concerns about their ability to fulfill their aspirations under current conditions, highlighting a desperate need for a stable and conducive educational environment.
Efforts to mediate and resolve the conflict have been ongoing, but the persistent hostilities continue to jeopardize the safety and future of young people in the region. The UN and other international bodies have reiterated calls for the protection of civilians and the resumption of educational activities as crucial steps toward normalcy and recovery in Gaza.
