Education in Emergencies in Gaza: Supporting Quality Education in Times of Crisis
The UNRWA Education in Emergencies (EiE) programme plays a crucial role in ensuring that Palestine refugee children impacted by conflict, the blockade and ongoing harsh living conditions in Gaza continue to access quality, equitable and inclusive education. With the support of Belgium, between July 2016 – June 2018 218,648 students in Gaza have been supported.
The political and security situation in Gaza remains volatile, with the blockade entering its 12th year in June 2018 and three cycles of conflict since 2008. As reported by OCHA until 1 July 2018, in the context of ongoing protests which began on 30 March, 143 people have been killed by Israeli forces – of whom 8 children were UNRWA school students - and over 15,242 people have been injured. In this context, the EiE programme, funded by the Government of Belgium, aims to build student resilience and promote their learning and overall wellbeing.
The EiE programme aims to strengthen the UNRWA education system, while complementing it with innovative approaches to respond to new and challenging contexts. In this regard, UNRWA adopts a multi-faceted approach to ensure that the programme is holistic and meets the needs of children, teachers and parents by ensuring a safe and secure learning environment for Palestine refugee children and youth, that supports their physical and emotional wellbeing, providing relevant and quality teaching and learning, including alternative methods of learning in times of crisis and encouraging parental, community, and student engagement to support the quality and continuity of education in emergencies.
