GENEVA, Jan 28 (SANA) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday it is expanding its “Back to Learning” programme in the Gaza Strip to reach about 336,000 children, calling it one of the world’s largest emergency education initiatives.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said nearly 90% of schools in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged during the war, leaving around 60% of school-aged children without access to in-person education, according to UN News.
Education, once a source of resilience for Palestinians, is now under “severe attack” following the destruction of schools, universities and libraries, Elder said.
He said the priority is to return children to learning as quickly as possible, even if classes are held in tents or community centres, adding that UNICEF needs $86 million to fund the effort.
Elder said the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with more than 100 children killed since the last ceasefire, including 60 boys and 40 girls, an average of nearly one child a day.
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