UNRWA Says More Than 76% of Schools Need Reconstruction in Gaza

Palestinian students attend a class at a field school in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: EFE

June 22, 2024 Hour: 5:12 pm

The United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed on Saturday that more than 76 percent of schools in the Gaza Strip «need major reconstruction or rehabilitation to get back into operation».

In this sense, the entity demanded an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and specified that education is a fundamental human right. Since 7 October, the Israeli army has intentionally bombed schools in the Palestinian territory, despite the fact that thousands of displaced civilians are sheltering inside.

In February, the spokesman of the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Stéphane Dujarric, denounced that more than 30 percent of schools had been directly impacted by Israel’s bombings.

In #Gaza, over 76% of schools need reconstructing or require major rehabilitation to be functional again, according to @GlobalEdCluster.

Despite this, @UNRWA teams continue to reach children with play & learning activities.

Education is a fundamental human right.#CeasefireNow pic.twitter.com/G0cWR9NWDw
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) June 21, 2024

Also, on this day, UNRWA reported that attacks by Israeli forces continue, with aerial, land and sea bombardments throughout the Gaza Strip.

This causes civilian casualties, displacement and destruction of residential structures and civilian infrastructure. Air strikes have been particularly intense in central Gaza (intermediate areas), particularly in the refugee camps of Bureij, Maghazi and Nuseirat and in eastern Deir Al Balah”, the UN Agency said.

On the other hand, he affirms that the Israeli forces carry out their ground offensive that expands through the south of Gaza City and east of Rafah, “deepening the humanitarian crisis and significantly destabilizing the flows of humanitarian aid.”