In January, children play amidst the rubble of a mosque and Islamic school in the southern city of Rafah that was bombed during the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
©UNICEF/NYHQ2009-0012/El Baba

NEW YORK, USA, – The recent Gaza conflict left about 1,000 Palestinian civilians dead and many more injured. Children, who make up more than half of Gaza’s population, have born the brunt of the conflict and its aftermath.

Approximately a third of those killed or injured were children, and many others lost caregivers and siblings.

The violence ended on 18 January. Since then, children and their families have suffered from shortages of food, shelter and basic commodities – and from the widespread destruction of homes, schools, health facilities, shops, mosques and play areas.

A difficult environment

“The physical environment in Gaza is unbearable in so many different respects,” says John Ging, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza Strip since 2006.

Mr. Ging points out the effect of “shortages of very basic supplies – and then, of course, the psychological effects in terms of there being no perspectives for kids growing up. They are living in a very oppressive, depressing and difficult environment.

“So when they look and try to contemplate their future, their experience is not giving them any basis of hope,” he adds. “It’s devastating, it’s unbearable and, sadly, it’s getting worse.”

Schools as shelters

Sir John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, recently visited Gaza and was shocked to see a school being used as a shelter. He also observed the tragedy of what children who were sheltered in that school depicted when they were given paper and pencils to draw.

“They were drawing rockets and bombs and tanks and all that,” he says. “Which is no doubt a necessary part of their cathartic experience, but it is also depressing to see that’s what children are drawing and are obsessed by.”

Dr. Eyad Rajab El Sarraj is an internationally recognized Palestinian psychiatrist, researcher and human rights advocate from Gaza whose work documenting the effects of war and violence on children there is well known. “Layer after layer of trauma has left indefinite damage on the psyche of the children,” says Dr. El Sarraj, “to the extent that from one generation to the other, we grow up to become more violent and more desperate.”

Discussion on impact of the crisis

The impact of this crisis on schools, students and education personnel is substantial. How do children in Gaza see their futures? What kind of challenges does the crisis in Gaza pose for agencies trying to deliver humanitarian relief and safety to the civilian population – and to children, in particular? What needs to happen in order to open up the Gaza Strip to deliver assistance to the civilian population that needs it most?

About this Podcast

UNICEF Radio podcast discussion on the crisis in Gaza, featuring these guests:
Sir John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; John Ging, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency; and Dr. Eyad Rajab El Sarraj, founder and Medical Director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme.

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Crisis in Gaza – Podcast 12

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At UN headquarters, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson (centre) moderates a panel on making education a priority in emergency and post-emergency situations. At left is UNESCO Assistant Director General for Education Nicholas Burnett.
©UNICEF/NYHQ2009-0209/Markisz

NEW YORK, USA, 18 March 2009 – The United Nations General Assembly hosted a thematic debate on education in emergencies today, with participation by representatives of Member States, academia and civil society, as well as UN experts, teachers and students.

UNICEF was on hand at the debate to press for outcomes that will benefit children who are suffering in emergency situations that rob them of their right to an education.

UNESCO’s Special Envoy on basic and higher education, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, gave a keynote speech at the event. Then panels convened on the debate’s three topics: ‘Rights and Promises’, ‘Practicalities and Possibilities’, and ‘Shared Accountability’.

The panels were all based on the premise, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that education is a right for everyone, everywhere – even during wars or natural disasters. The Convention on the Rights of the Child also cites education as a right.

Restoring a sense of stability

Despite these guarantees, however, education is often one of the first victims of an emergency. Approximately 75 million children worldwide are not enrolled in primary school – and more than half of them live in countries affected by conflict.

“Afghanistan is hit hard by conflict,” said Afghan youth activist Maiwand Rahyab. “Education can be very crucial to bringing back normality and peace…. Education can create the kind of environment for children so that they can cope with the traumas associated with conflicts.”

In fact, getting children back to school quickly during or after a crisis is a proven way to protect them, and schools can offer safe spaces for learning as well as for recovery.

“What we’re trying to do through this debate and through the international campaign is to make education an important part of emergency planning and programming,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy. “Schools and education are [about] more than just teaching – they could become places where children are safe and secure.”

Out-of-school children at risk

Other speakers noted that during conflict, children who are not in school or other safe spaces face higher risks of abduction and recruitment into armed groups. Out-of-school children are also more susceptible to sexual exploitation, trafficking and child labour.

“In Haiti, safe spaces are a problem because schools are old and we need to rebuild the schools, and the government has no resources to do that,” said education specialist Wildenes Etienne, who current works for Catholic Relief Services and manages a UNICEF-supported emergency back-to-school programme in Haiti.

“When we are in an emergency, many children lose the possibility to get an education,” he added.

Education as ‘infrastructure’

In the longer term, education can contribute directly to the social, economic and political stability of societies.

As several participants in the debate explained, schools help reduce the risk of violent conflict by enhancing social cohesion and supporting conflict resolution and peace-building.

“Education, in a way, is not only a right but it can be seen as infrastructure – a basic infrastructure – in the society,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson. This is a way of building nations and re-building nations. This is a fundamentally important issue for every country.”

Investing in learners

Today’s thematic debate sought to address the collective obligation to ensure that the right to education for all is fulfilled, especially in the most difficult environments.

Among other recommendations, participants called for major investments to be made now in rebuilding education systems in emergency and post-crisis transition countries. They also urged the use of innovative approaches to build these systems better than they were prior to the emergency. Support for affected children and communities was advocated, as well – to provide a means for societies to heal their wounds and resume development against great odds.

Maiwand, the Afghan youth activist, summed up the urgency of these issue in his response to a question about the message he wanted to leave with debate participants.

“Education is a fundamental right of every child in the world,” he said. “They need to support the education of children in emergencies now. They can’t wait. They can’t postpone it.”

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UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson outlines the importance of children’s right to an education, even in the midst of emergencies

© UNICEF Iraq/2008/Arar
A girl walks through the rubble of her destroyed classroom at the Baghdad Primary School in Sadr City.

NEW YORK, USA, 15 September 2008 – The ongoing conflict in Iraq continues to have a devastating impact on children and schools there. Insecurity and violence have forced teachers to flee, kept students at home and, in some cases, closed schools completely.

An education system that was once one of the best in the region is now struggling to provide basic services and keep students safe. Many young people have watched fellow classmates either leave the country or simply stop coming to school.

“We were 35 students and now we are seven – two girls and five boys,” says Zuhal Sultan, who studies music in Baghdad. “And we don’t have enough teachers to cover every subject.”

UNICEF’s Chief of Education at the support center for Iraq in Jordan, Mette Norstrand, agrees that finding teachers is challenging but says that more support systems are being put in place to encourage them back to the classroom.

“Now the Ministry of Education is taking this quite seriously,” she notes, “and we are holding training courses for master trainers and teachers so they can be better equipped to deal with problems inside the classroom.”

‘A huge achievement’

Teachers and students inside Iraq, who are managing to keep some semblance of a normal school life, often face overwhelming and life-threatening obstacles.

“Daily life is so difficult, so constrained by fear of assassination, kidnapping, bombing, that to continue to do something as simple as go to school and study music is heroic,” says journalist George Packer. “It’s a huge achievement.”

With continued insecurity and a lack of teachers, how are Iraqi youths continuing their studies? How is the international community helping to support and transform the education system? What are the particular obstacles that female students face?

About the Podcast

Listen to a UNICEF Radio podcast discussion on education in Iraq, featuring these guests:

George Packer, staff writer for The New Yorker and author of ‘The Assassins’ Gate: America in Iraq’; Zuhal Sultan, a 17-year-old student at the Music and Ballet School of Baghdad, and pianist with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra; and Mette Norstrand, Chief of Education, UNICEF Support Center for Iraq.

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Listen to Podcast 9 – Education Under Pressure in Iraq (RealAudio)

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© UNICEF/NYHQ2004-0269/Christine Nesbitt
A man teacher addresses a class of girls, in a temporary classroom in the Kassab IDP camp near the town of Kutum, 116 km from capital of North Darfur.

NEW YORK, USA, 16 November 2007 – Providing education to children in regions and societies affected by conflict – or emerging from it – is a major challenge.

Yet communities in conflict-affected areas consistently rank education as a high priority. And they demonstrate astounding resourcefulness and resilience in seeking out and providing schooling for their children.

Educating children in conflict zones

In Iraq, as in many other conflict zones, schools may be targets of violence and must operate in increasingly tense security situations.

UNICEF Colombia Representative Paul Martin and UNICEF Iraq Deputy Representative Geeta Verma with podcast moderator Amy Costello at a discussion on education in conflict-affected countries.

“Examinations that took place recently saw, for the first time, a decline in the number of children who sat for the exam and, further, those who were able to pass,” said Geeta Verma, speaking of Iraq last week during a discussion about the role of education in countries affected by conflict or natural disaster. “The learning levels are going down rapidly, which means that the quality of education is in rapid decline,” she added.

“In Southern Sudan, you find that … the adult literacy rates are very low, the lowest in the world,” said Sibeso Luswata, noting the challenges of working in an area that recently emerged from conflict.

Paul Martin cited the difficulty of providing education to vulnerable and excluded children in middle-income countries such as Colombia – especially in remote areas. The problem is “particularly acute in Colombia because of the situation of violence, which is affecting large areas but not all of the country at once,” he said. “A lot of the problems in those isolated areas are quite similar to the things that have been described in Sudan and in Iraq.”

A tool for social transformation

Ms. Verma, Ms. Luswata and Mr. Martin made their comments in the third segment of ‘Beyond School Books’, a series of discussions that are distributed online and through UNICEF Radio podcasts.

UNICEF has launched the series – hosted by Amy Costello, a former correspondent for Public Radio International – to help advance the discussion on the role of education in countries affected by conflict or natural disaster, or emerging from crisis.

About this Podcast

Voices from the Field. A discussion about educating children in some of the world’s most challenging contexts, featuring these guests:
Sibeso Luswata, UNICEF Southern Sudan Chief of Education; Paul Martin, UNICEF Representative in Colombia; and Geeta Verma, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Iraq.

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Education Under Attack – Podcast 3

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A girl inspects the damage to her school on the student’s first day back following the ceasefire in Gaza.
©UNICEF/NYHQ2009-0061/El Baba

NEW YORK, 26 January 2009 – With the return of hundreds of thousands of children to school in Gaza, UNICEF is providing essential educational equipment and materials to re-establish learning and recreational activities, create safe environments, and help restore a sense of normalcy for children in Gaza.

Today UNICEF’s Representative for oPt, Patricia McPhillips, visited Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, where two UNICEF tents are serving as temporary learning spaces for girls, whose school was completely destroyed. The girls are attending classes during the afternoon shift. Four additional tents will be set up in the coming days to accommodate additional students.

“UNICEF is working with partners to establish safe areas and to supply educational material for children in Gaza,” said Ms. Patricia McPhillips. “The return to school provides an important opportunity for children to interact, play, rebuild their routines, and overcome distress.”

On 26 January, UNICEF supplied Gaza with 130 school-in-a-box kits, which include items such as exercise books, pens and pencils, to cater for 10,400 school-aged children. In addition, UNICEF provided 84 recreational kits, containing sports and other entertaining items, for 6,720 children, 42 Mathematics and 42 Science kits for 4,200 students. UNICEF has also supplied the Ministry of Education with 12,000 water bottles targeting an equal number of school students.

Reports so far estimate that seven schools were completely destroyed, and many more were damaged. Educational material, including text books and stationary were also lost. Schools are operating in double – even triple shifts – to accommodate those children, whose schools were destroyed.

UNICEF is concerned about the risk of unexploded ordnance (UXO) as a result of the conflict, and has advocated for the clearance of school areas as a priority. UNICEF is raising awareness of the dangers of UXO through a number of materials being distributed, the broadcasting of messages on radio spots, and the printing of UXO messages on games for children.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Education reported an 80 per cent attendance at their schools. Around 450,000 children attend schools, including 373 government schools, 214 UNRWA-operated schools, and another 34 private schools. UNRWA provides schooling for over 196,000 children in Gaza.

About UNICEF

UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information, please contact:
Patrick McCormick, UNICEF New York Tel, +1 212 326 7426, pmccormick@unicef.org
Veronique Taveau, UNICEF Geneva, Tel: +41 22 909 5716, vtaveau@unicef.org

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[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUOjqUglsx8 310 255]

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Back to school in Gaza

Children walk on destroyed houses in south Gaza City on the fourth day of the cease-fire
©UNICEF HQ/2009/El Baba

By Roshan Khadivi

JERUSALEM, 23 January 2009 – The recent and extreme levels of conflict in Gaza have affected the lives of some 800,000 children and young people. Many have lost their schools, health facilities, play areas and even neighbourhoods, which have been destroyed in the violence.

Women and children are the worst affected. Among them are a special group with one foot still in childhood and another in adulthood: the adolescents.

“We lived the worst life humans could live in this world–no food or electricity, no water,” says Lara Abu Ramadan, a 17-year-old Gaza resident, describing her experience of the conflict.

“As a result of the escalation of violence in the recent conflict, many adolescents in Gaza are now experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, insecurity and intense fear,” notes the head of UNICEF’s Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) programme, Linda Sall. “However, as adolescents, they also feel the need to take some action to support their families, friends and community.”

Adolescents lead and learn

Prior to this conflict, UNICEF and its local partners provided youths with daily recreational activities such as sports, art, music and drama – as well as life-skills education – at 28 adolescent-friendly learning spaces in five districts of Gaza.

The learning spaces are based on adolescent-led initiatives, allowing young people themselves to develop ideas for contributing to campaigns like mine-risk awareness, school reconstruction or equipping homes for people with disabilities.

UNICEF’s ADAP and child protection programmes are ready to respond to the immediate needs of communities in Gaza by turning some of the adolescent-friendly spaces into family centres. The goal is to reach youths and families together with psychosocial support and services, health referrals and distribution of non-food items.

There is also work to be done in disseminating information on the danger from unexploded munitions and landmines.

Restoring normalcy, reducing stress

Meanwhile, the centres will continue to engage and mobilize adolescents through peer-to-peer psychosocial support, recreational activities and participation in community rehabilitation projects.

Palestinian boys play football in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

The centres will also pair adolescents with trained psychosocial workers. These teams will facilitate home visits and provide support for children who have been separated from their families or displaced, and are living in shelters and orphanages.

This approach will give adolescents a chance to play a two-fold role. As beneficiaries of UNICEF’s effort, they will mitigate their own stress, get group support and participate in recreational activities. And as role models, they will be able to support psychosocial, recreational and family-outreach activities for younger children.

“The idea will be to build on something that is already in the society and that is familiar,” Ms. Sall explains, “to bring back a sense of normality to life.”

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UNICEF: Rehabilitating learning centers in Gaza (RealMedia Format)

In Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, a page from a school notebook that bears the UNICEF logo lies amid other burnt papers and books.
©UNICEF/NYHQ2003-0557/Brooks

KABUL, Afghanistan, 14 November 2008 – UNICEF has condemned the increasing number of attacks on schools and students in Afghanistan. A recent acid attack on 15 female students walking to school in the southern city of Kandahar blinded two of the girls and injured two others.

“We are concerned about the rising number of attacks on schools, teachers and students that are being targeted. The violence has to stop,” said UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan Catherine Mbengue.

So far this year, there have been 256 violent school incidents, resulting in some 58 deaths and 46 injuries. In 2007, arsonists were to blame for a total of 236 school incidents.

A safe space for children

Communities in war-torn Afghanistan have been working to overcome violence and other obstacles that can hinder children, especially girls, from attending school.

Despite the often difficult environment, student enrolment in the country has continued to rise. Over 6 million Afghan children now attend school, in comparison to 3 million in 2002.

UNICEF maintains that schools should provide a safe space for children and that the targeting of schools, innocent teachers and school children must cease.

Iraqi children flood Damascus schools putting pressure on education system
© UNICEF Video

25 September 2008 – Iraqi children flood Damascus schools putting pressure on education system

Iraqi children head to schools in Damascus at the beginning of the new school year. Their families fled the conflict in Iraq, and schools in Syria are now overcrowded

Production date: September 9th, 2008

Duration: 2:51

Keywords: UNICEF, children, Iraq, Syria, education, war

Main shooting locations: Damascus, Syria

Main sequences:

It is the beginning of the new school year in Syria. But most of the children in schools are not Syrians but Iraqis. Iraqis whose families have fled from the war.

More than 50 000 Iraqi youngsters are studying in Syrian schools and the education system is under pressure. This school on the edge of Damascus has doubled in size. The numbers in one class has reached 50 to 55. And the ministry of education is expecting new enrolments to rise again this year.

Read the shotlist and script (PDF format) in: English

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UNICEF: Accommodating Iraqi students in Syrian schools (RealMedia)

Young students at the Al Aqsa School for Palestinian refugee children in Damascus, Syria.
© UNICEF video

By Monica Awad

DAMASCUS, Syria, 2008 – Palestinian children residing in Husseiniyeh camp here are suffering from overcrowded classrooms and double-shift schools. Faced with staggering challenges outside the classroom, children are now in danger of losing their right to a quality education.

Almost 80 per cent of the 81,000 Palestinian students attend elementary schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), while the remaining 20 per cent attend either government or private schools.

Due to the large number of students attending UNRWA schools and limited school facilities, schools operate in double shifts that are just under five hours long. This schedule, coupled with overcrowded schools, makes it difficult for students to concentrate and learn in class.

“I have around 600 students attending Al Aqsa School for boys covering grades seven to nine,” said the Damascus school’s principal, Moh’d Qassem. “This high classroom density is a major challenge for us, the students and their families.”

Succeeding despite challenges

Ensuring a quality education for these children is particularly vital. When a child’s world has been turned upside down, going to school is something he or she can count on.

Despite the challenges they face, UNRWA schools have a very good reputation. The pass rates for UNRWA students taking the ninth-grade state exams in the 2003-04 school year was 96 per cent, compared with 64 per cent in government schools. This example of excellence shows that quality can and should still be achieved during a time of conflict.

At Al Aqsa, students study English, science and math, in addition to social studies, computers, sports and arts.

“My favourite subject is Arabic language because it is my native language,” said seventh-grader Jamal Mustafa.

Beyond the basic subjects, UNRWA schools emphasize other courses valuable for children – including classes in communication and leadership skills, learning about their rights, responsibilities, and how to protect themselves from abuse.

Knowledge, skills and empowerment

We developed an anti-smoking campaign where many children of our age group benefited from it,” said student Moh’d Fouad Ahmad, 15.

Overcrowding at the Al Aqsa School for Palestinian children forces the school to operate in double shifts to accommodate all 600 students.

These activities not only equipped students with knowledge and skills but also empowered them to be able to benefit their small community. Investment in education has an invaluable long-term benefit, ensuring that the younger generation will be able to build a stable future beyond the refugee camp.

“I was a very shy person. But after participating in training sessions, I improved, and now I have some leadership skills where I can communicate freely and do many things that I could not do in the past,” added Moh’d.

Foundation for the future

All of these initiatives are elements of the child-friendly school criteria agreed upon between UNRWA and the Ministry of Education. The criteria include active learning methodology, available alternatives to punishment, protection from violence , access to quality water and sanitation services and a functioning parent-teacher association.

UNICEF, along with UNRWA and the General Authority for Palestinian Arab Refugees, has supported training of teachers, supervisors and school counsellors, and provided remedial classes for students at risk of dropping out of school.

For the many children without the opportunity to travel, or even to leave the camp they call home, these schools are a first step towards expanding their world and building a stable foundation for a better future.

“I’ve never left Husseiniyeh camp,” said Moh’d, “but if I did, my dream is to visit Spain since it has many Islamic historical sites.”

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© UNICEF/MENA02131/Pirozzi
A man teacher helps students, sitting three to a desk in a school is in the village of Al-Zuraiji. Like many in the area, it was damaged during the war.

By Claire Hajaj

AMMAN, Jordan, 23 May 2008 – The Baghdad Girls Primary in Iraq’s Sadr City had only been occupied by students for a few months before violent clashes erupted between military forces and militia groups in the area.

When the smoke cleared, the school was virtually destroyed – damaged by intense mortar and rocket fire. The school’s headmistresses, Zainab Kadhum, and her staff had worked to ensure that all the girls got home safely, but they could not save what had only recently been a brand new space for Iraqi girls to receive a quality education amidst the insecurity plaguing their country.

“The school has been reduced to rubble,” Ms. Kadhum says. “The girls still come to do their final exams, but we try to finish as early as possible so that the children do not spend a long time in this collapsing building. Any nearby bombing or tremor might cause the school to fall on the heads of the children.”

More than 29 of Sadr City’s schools were damaged in the violence. When schools reopened, teachers returned to shattered windows, fractured desks and chairs, broken toilets and nervous, distressed students. Many parents chose to keep their children at home even after the declaration of a ceasefire in the area.

Living in fear

“War for us means fear and uncertainty,” says 15-year-old Mohammed, who lives with his family in the heart of Sadr City. “It means houses destroyed, people killed and maimed, air-raids, bombings and blackouts. When there is fighting, we cannot leave the house or move around in our own streets.”

Sadr City, a densely populated square mile and one of the poorest parts of Baghdad, has witnessed some of Iraq’s worst clashes since the 2003 war. A government-led effort to drive out militia groups sparked house-to-house fighting in many neighbourhoods. The conflict isolated communities, uprooted families and caused shortages of water, medicines and food.

“This fighting has had a big effect on us,” Mohammed says. “There has been no water, no electricity. Bombs are planted along the main road so even private cars cannot go out. Now when the rockets and mortars start to fall my father sends us into one room in our house where we all hide until we think it is safe.”

Sometimes, even these family precautions are not enough. One rocket fell right next to Mohammed’s house. It smashed the windows and the family car, and injured Mohammed’s father.

Rebuilding children’s confidence

UNICEF teams present on the ground have worked with local officials to deliver safe drinking water every day to over 13,000 families through UNICEF water tankers. Water and critical medical supplies have been delivered to city hospitals, helping beleaguered doctors and nurses treat large numbers of injuries.

As access eases, UNICEF is also starting to restore to Sadr City’s schools, many of which were in poor condition even before the conflict – without running water, electricity or proper sanitation.

“Restoring a school takes more than bricks and mortar,” says UNICEF’s Chief of Education in Iraq, Mette Nordstrand. “We need to rebuild children’s confidence in the value of education in such an unstable environment. When we bring relief to a school, it sends a message to children that learning is important to their future and that school can be a good place to be.”

UNICEF will provide new school supplies and rapid repairs for damaged buildings. But undoing the psychological impact of violence on children will be the greatest challenge.

“Our school is in a bad state now, but I hope it will get better” says Mohammed. “I am sure that other children feel sad when they hear what happens to us. No one wants children to face hardships and live in crisis.”

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Rebuilding Schools in Iraq’s Sadr City