The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that “children across the region are returning to UNRWA schools, except in Gaza.” In a post on their official ‘X’ platform page on Monday morning, they noted, “More than 600,000 children in the Gaza Strip are living in a state of deep trauma among the ruins, deprived of learning and their schools, half of whom were students in UNRWA schools.”
The agency warned that “the longer children remain out of school, the greater the risk of losing a generation, fueling feelings of resentment and extremism.” They added, “In Gaza, more than 70% of our schools have been destroyed or damaged. The vast majority of our schools have been converted into crowded shelters housing hundreds of thousands of displaced families, and are no longer suitable for learning.”
The agency also pointed out the risk of children being vulnerable to exploitation, including child labor and joining armed groups in the absence of a ceasefire. They continued, “We have seen this too often in conflicts around the world, let’s avoid repeating it in Gaza. A ceasefire is a win-win: it will provide relief to civilians, the release of hostages, and the flow of essential supplies including education.”
