The denial of access to education for Palestinian children for three consecutive academic years, combined with the killing of thousands of students and the destruction of educational infrastructure, is a humanitarian emergency and a grave breach of international law, UN human rights office, OHCHR, said today.
Here are some highlights from its latest report:
- More than 17,237 school students and 1,271 university students have been killed, alongside 967 educational staff in Gaza since war erupted after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education
- In Gaza, 97 per cent of schools have sustained damage as a result of the hostilities, 432 school buildings (76.6 per cent of the total number) have sustained a “”direct hit” since 7 October 2023, affecting approximately 469,222 students and 17,564 teachers they serve, and 91.8 per cent (518 out of 564) of schools will need either full reconstruction or major rehabilitation work to be functional, according to the UN Education Cluster and UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) data
- More than 83 per cent of persons with disabilities have reportedly lost access to essential assistive devices and formal education for children with disabilities has been suspended or severely disrupted due to school closures, displacement and the repurposing of facilities as emergency shelters, according to UN agencies and partners