UNRWA Archives - Page 8 of 13

Gaza Education Under Attack

CrossFireArabia
September 30, 2024

A new study warned that the ongoing war in Gaza could set back children’s education by up to five years, potentially creating a lost generation of traumatized Palestinian youth.

Conducted by academics in partnership with UNRWA, the report revealed that Gaza’s children already lost 14 months of schooling due to COVID-19 and the recent genocide.

Professor Pauline Rose from the University of Cambridge stressed, “Palestinian education is under attack. We must protect this right now.”

News

Over 11,000 Students Killed in Gaza Since 7 October

CrossFireArabia
September 17, 2024

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education stated 11,001 students were martyred and 17,772 were injured since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on 7 October, 2023.

Israeli aggression

In a statement the Ministry of Education explained, Tuesday, the number of students who were killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the Israeli aggression reached more than 10,888, and those injured reached 17,224. This is while 113 students were martyred in the West Bank and 548 others were injured, in addition to 429 arrested.

It also stated that 529 teachers and administrators were killed and 3,686 were injured in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and more than 129 were arrested in the West Bank,

The Ministry’s statement pointed out that 362 government schools, universities, university buildings, and 65 UNRWA schools were bombed and vandalized in the Gaza Strip with 124 severely damaged and 62 being completely destroyed.

Deprivation

Also 69 schools and 5 universities in the West Bank were also stormed and vandalized, and 133 government schools were used as shelters in the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry of Education confirmed that 718,000 students in the Gaza Strip are still deprived of attending their schools and universities since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza, while most students suffer from psychological trauma and face difficult health conditions.

News

UN Official Likens Destruction of Gaza to a ‘Horror Film’

CrossFireArabia
September 13, 2024

Between 17,000 and 18,000 children in Gaza are currently orphaned and without protection said UN Humanitarian Coordinator Muhannad Hadi in a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in Brussels, Thursday.

Hadi highlighted the dire conditions faced by these children, noting that many are forced to gather firewood instead of attending school or playing due to a lack of electricity and cooking gas.

He described the sight of children selling worthless items, such as broken door handles or cups, on the streets as a stark indication of the extreme poverty in Gaza. The shortage of cash has further exacerbated the economic and humanitarian crisis according to Wafa, the Palestinian news agency.

During his visit to Gaza in August, Hadi likened the extensive destruction he witnessed to a “horror film,” emphasizing that basic necessities like clean water, coffee, and breakfast have become distant dreams after 11 months of war.

Hadi also discussed the significant challenges faced by humanitarian workers in delivering aid, citing issues with visas, border crossings, and other obstacles.

He noted the grave risks they encounter, including incidents of gunfire targeting UN and humanitarian vehicles. For instance, a World Food Programme vehicle was hit by 10 bullets in August.

Hadi reported that 214 staff members from UNRWA and seven from the Global Central Kitchen have lost their lives in the course of their work during the ongoing Israeli aggression.

He warned that the crisis in Gaza and the West Bank has far-reaching implications for the entire region.

News

Gaza Schools ‘Vanish Into Thin Air’

CrossFireArabia
September 2, 2024

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini said that more than 70% of the agency’s schools in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, and the majority of them have become shelters crowded with hundreds of thousands of displaced families and cannot be used for education according to Wafa.

Lazzarini added in a post on X that “more than 600,000 children there are deeply traumatized, living in the rubble. They continue to be deprived of learning + schooling. Half of them used to be in UNRWA schools. The longer children stay out of school, the higher the risk of a lost generation, fueling resentment & extremism.”

“In Gaza, more than 70% of our schools are destroyed or damaged. The vast majority of our schools are now overcrowded shelters with hundreds of thousands of displaced families. They cannot be used for learning,” he added.

“With no ceasefire, children are likely to fall prey to exploitation including child labour and recruitment into armed groups. We have seen this way too often in conflicts around the world, let’s not repeat it in Gaza. A ceasefire is a win for all: it will allow respite for civilians, the release of the hostages + a flow of much needed basic supplies including for learning,” he was quoted as saying in the Palestinian news agency.

News

UN Marks Deadliest Year For Aid Workers

CrossFireArabia
August 19, 2024

Aid workers on the frontlines of the world’s conflicts are being killed in unprecedented numbers, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said as it marked World Humanitarian Day, Wednesday.

With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community.

This outrageously high number represents a 137 per cent increase compared to 2022, when 118 aid workers were killed.

2024 may be on track for an even deadlier outcome. As of 7 August, 172 aid workers have been killed, according to the provisional count from the Aid Worker Security Database.

More than half of the 2023 deaths were recorded in the first three months – October to December – of the hostilities in Gaza, mostly as a result of airstrikes. Since October, more than 280 aid workers – the majority of them staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) – have been killed in Gaza alone.

Extreme levels of violence in Sudan and South Sudan have contributed to the tragic death toll, both in 2023 and in 2024.

In all these conflicts, most of the casualties are among national staff.

Many humanitarian workers also continue to be detained in Yemen.

“The normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability are unacceptable, unconscionable and enormously harmful for aid operations everywhere,” said Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “Today, we reiterate our demand that people in power act to end violations against civilians and the impunity with which these heinous attacks are committed.”

On this World Humanitarian Day, aid workers and those supporting their efforts around the globe have organized events to stand in solidarity and spotlight the horrifying toll of armed conflicts, including on humanitarian staff. In addition, a joint letter from leaders of humanitarian organizations will be sent to the Member States of the UN General Assembly asking the international community to end attacks on civilians, protect all aid workers, and hold perpetrators to account.

Everyone can add their voice by joining and amplifying the digital campaign using the hashtag #ActforHumanity.