Attachments
Background
• In Gaza, 17 years of blockade combined with recurrent conflict have damaged and destroyed an already fragile education infrastructure: increasing pressure on education facilities, disrupting education provision, and impacting the psychosocial wellbeing of children and teachers. The recent hostilities in Gaza has tragically witnessed a high trend of attacks on school facilities, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation.
• Since October 7th, the Education Cluster “EC” has been monitoring and reporting on damages to schools through initial reports from Cluster partners in the field, UNOCHA, and UNRWA. In addition, the EC has activated the Education Cluster Assessment Team (ECAT) that has been deployed to verify damages on each occasion the situation allowed.
• As of the end of January 2024, the EC reports through its mechanism, that 386 school buildings sustained damages representing more than 78% of all school buildings in Gaza (25 schools fully damaged, 113 severely damaged, 125 with moderate damages, and 123 with minor damages).
Objective
Due to the increased access limitation to the field especially in Gaza and North Gaza governorates, and the intense Israeli bombardment from air, land, and sea across much of the Gaza Strip, in addition to recurrent telecommunication shutdowns, the Cluster administered a Satellite-derived Damage Assessment to:
▪ To validate and verify the initial school damage data, which the cluster has been collecting since 7 October.
▪ To better understand the situation of school buildings and the severity of damage, especially in areas with limited field access.
▪ To help in developing the Cluster Response Plan and allocate resources where they are most needed, ensuring a swift and effective recovery process.
▪ Communicate the impact of the ongoing hostilities on school facilities to the public, including humanitarian actors. This information helps raise awareness about the severity of the situation and can facilitate evidence-based engagement in recovery efforts.