{"id":8934,"date":"2026-01-29T17:15:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T17:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=8934"},"modified":"2026-01-29T17:15:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T17:15:33","slug":"unicef-scales-up-back-to-learning-programme-to-reach-336000-children-in-gaza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeaglenews.co.in\/?p=8934","title":{"rendered":"UNICEF Scales Up \u2018Back to Learning\u2019 Programme to Reach 336,000 Children in Gaza.\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

UNICEF Scales Up \u2018Back to Learning\u2019 Programme to Reach 336,000 Children in Gaza.<\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Geneva:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

UNICEF has announced a major expansion of its Back to Learning programme in Gaza, aiming to restore access to education for 336,000 children in what the agency describes as one of the largest emergency learning initiatives in the world.<\/p>\n

Speaking at a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder said the initiative is not optional but essential, warning that the prolonged disruption to education in Gaza has placed an entire generation at risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a \u2018nice to have\u2019. It is an emergency,\u201d Elder said.<\/p>\n

A Generation at Risk<\/h4>\n

Nearly two and a half years of sustained attacks on Gaza\u2019s education system have devastated schooling across the territory. According to UNICEF, 60 per cent of school-aged children currently have no access to in-person learning, while more than 90 per cent of schools have been damaged or destroyed. The impact extends to early childhood development, with over 335,000 children under the age of five now at risk of severe developmental delays following the collapse of early learning services.<\/p>\n

Before the conflict, Gaza was known for having one of the highest literacy rates in the world, with education serving as a pillar of social resilience and progress. That legacy, Elder said, is now under severe threat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not just physical destruction,\u201d he stressed. \u201cIt\u2019s an assault on the future itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learning as a Lifesaving Intervention<\/h4>\n

The expanded Back to Learning programme is being launched in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Education, UNRWA, and local education partners. UNICEF\u2019s approach focuses on:<\/p>\n

Expanding a network of multi-service, non-formal learning centres<\/p>\n

Integrating mental health and psychosocial support into education<\/p>\n

Ensuring strong governance and due diligence in an extremely complex operating environment<\/p>\n

UNICEF currently supports more than 100 learning spaces across Gaza, providing children with opportunities to read, write, practice basic mathematics, and engage in structured play. These centres also offer mental health support, safe sanitation facilities, and access to health, nutrition, and child protection services.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Gaza, learning is lifesaving,\u201d Elder said, noting that the centres provide safe spaces in a territory that remains dangerous and often inaccessible.<\/p>\n

Education Amid Humanitarian Crisis<\/h4>\n

Addressing questions about prioritizing education when families continue to struggle for food, water, and shelter, UNICEF emphasized that humanitarian needs are not competing priorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not either\/or,\u201d Elder said, highlighting UNICEF\u2019s parallel efforts, which include the delivery of one million thermal blankets, hundreds of thousands of winter clothing kits, the operation of more than 70 nutrition facilities, and ongoing work to restore water and wastewater treatment plants.<\/p>\n

Overwhelming Demand and Urgent Funding Needs<\/h4>\n

Demand for learning spaces far exceeds current capacity. UNICEF reports long waiting lists at all existing centres, with communities establishing makeshift classrooms in tents and damaged buildings. Parents are actively seeking placements, and many children are arriving even without guaranteed access.<\/p>\n

With nearly half of Gaza\u2019s population under the age of 18, UNICEF stressed that children must be central to all recovery and reconstruction plans. The agency estimates that it costs US$280 per child per year to provide access to a learning centre, including mental health support. To reach the targeted 336,000 children for the remainder of 2026, UNICEF urgently requires US$86 million\u2014an amount Elder noted is roughly equivalent to what the world spends on coffee in just one or two hours.<\/p>\n

Protecting Gaza\u2019s Future<\/h4>\n

UNICEF underscored that Back to Learning is not a replacement for formal education but a bridge to the full restoration of Gaza\u2019s schools and universities. By preserving learning now, the programme aims to safeguard the human capital needed to rebuild the territory in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe engineers who will rebuild water systems, the doctors who will save lives, and the teachers who will guide the next generation all come from a proud culture of learning,\u201d Elder said. \u201cBack to Learning is about keeping that flame alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Gaza looks toward recovery, UNICEF says restoring education is essential to restoring hope\u2014transforming it from an abstract idea into practical action, and ensuring that a future can still be built.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UNICEF Scales Up \u2018Back to Learning\u2019 Programme to Reach 336,000 Children in Gaza.   Geneva:   UNICEF has announced a major expansion of its Back […]<\/p>\n

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