Learning Spaces Deliver Hope to Children in Gaza
UNICEF temporary learning spaces provide education, essential services and a much-needed sense of normalcy for children devastated by more than two years of bombardment in the Gaza Strip.
A place of learning, hope and resilience for children in Gaza
Inside a high-performance tent in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, eager young students are raising their hands to answer a teacher's question. It looks like a typical day in any busy classroom, but for children in Gaza, it's much more than that.
For the third year in a row, the education of Gaza's 650,000 school-aged children has been disrupted by war. More than 90 percent of school buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Almost every child has been displaced, most more than once.
Learning spaces like this one are a critical resource, providing not just academic instruction but also a place to play and exercise, protected from the cold weather, where bombings and deprivation fade into the background and children can lean into the comforting rhythms of everyday life. Being back in school helps kids regain a sense of normalcy and begin to recover from the trauma they've experienced.
Learn more: Children in Gaza Need Lifesaving Support
I love learning here so much. When I see the school, I feel like I'm back in the old days. — Judy, 12, Khan Younis, Gaza
Outside the temporary learning space, Khan Younis lies in ruins. Families are struggling to make it through the harsh winter months in makeshift tents — about 1.3 million Palestinians in Gaza lack proper shelter, according to the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Heavy rains have washed waste and sewage through floodwaters and into populated areas. Every day brings new hardships.
"I love learning here so much," says Judy, 12. "When I see the school, I feel like I'm back in the old days. I'm proud to be at this school."
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Learning spaces double as hubs for delivery of children's health services, vaccinations, and mental health and psychosocial support
UNICEF is operating more than 100 learning spaces across Gaza, reaching around 115,000 children with basic learning — reading, writing, math and science. In recent days, 13 temporary learning spaces have reopened, providing access to education for about 5,000 children.
After classes are finished for the day, the learning spaces are used to provide mental health and psychosocial support programs, along with health services and vaccinations to protect children from disease outbreaks.
Learn more about how UNICEF protects children in Gaza from disease outbreaks
Humanitarian needs are rising faster than aid can be delivered
As humanitarian needs continue to rise, UN agencies including UNICEF are pushing for wider access to reach more children in need with lifesaving supplies and services. A growing list of items have been blocked from entry by Israeli authorities, hampering relief efforts. Inside Gaza, the number of routes available for transporting aid remains limited, as do the crossings through which supplies can enter.
"The obstacles ahead of us are immense, but we are ambitious, and we want to see all 650,000 students back into classrooms like this one, with the support of amazing teachers here in Gaza," says UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram.
Right now, the lives of the most vulnerable children hang in the balance as conflicts and crises jeopardize the care and protection that they deserve. Dependable, uninterrupted and effective foreign aid is critical to the well-being of millions of children. Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to support ongoing U.S. investments in foreign assistance.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
