Attachments
The crippling effect on Gaza’s educational infrastructure
The prolonged devastation has deprived children of formal education for over a year and a half. Recent escalations have led to an alarming increase in attacks on schools, exacerbating the already severe humanitarian crisis. The relentless disruption has inflicted significant harm to the mental health and well-being of students, educators, and families.
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. The Education Cluster Assessment Team (ECAT) was prepared to be deployed for a rapid damage assessment in the field during the second half of March, as part of the cluster’s ceasefire plan. However, following the collapse of the ceasefire on March 18 and the intensification of Israeli bombardment, the Cluster suspended its field assessment plan. Instead, it opted to continue the Satellite-Derived Damage Assessment to:
• To update the results of the previous report on school damages based on proximity to damaged sites including new trends and severity of damages.
• To better understand the condition of school buildings and the extent of damages due to the continued hostilities, especially in areas with restricted access.
• To support the update of the Flash Appeal needs and priorities within the Cluster Response Plan, enabling the strategic allocation of resources to urgent areas.
• Communicate the devastating impact of the prolonged hostilities on school facilities to the public and humanitarian actors, raising awareness of the crisis and supporting evidence-based advocacy and recovery efforts.