JOHANNESBURG, Aug 8 (IPS) – Since October 2023, 625,000 children attending schools in Gaza have been denied access to education and more than 370 schools have been damaged in attacks, according to the United Nations.
To support efforts to provide girls and boys with access to quality education and mental health services, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) today announced a $2 million grant for its first emergency response in Gaza.
“2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe, facing inhumane conditions. There is unprecedented violence in modern times, famine, starvation and disease. Desperation and scarcity have led to a total collapse in the lives of children and adolescents,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the United Nations Global Fund for Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises, in announcing the 12-month fast-acting grant.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), which aims to improve learning conditions for children and youth in Gaza, will provide the grant through its ongoing Better Learning in Palestine programme.
“Today, we call on world leaders to support diplomatic efforts to secure the unconditional release of all hostages, establish a lasting humanitarian ceasefire, provide safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, ensure full compliance with international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict, and achieve a political and peaceful solution,” Sherif said.
Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the NRC, promised that the council will commit itself to the children of Gaza.
“The children of Gaza continue to face unimaginable horrors. It has taken a terrible toll on young people, many of whom have lived through countless previous conflicts, leaving thousands dead, injured and orphaned. This ECW grant will help provide the first steps in restoring mental health and learning services. But it is just a drop in the ocean of needs in Gaza. The children and young people who have suffered during this unprecedented conflict must not be forgotten – they will need continued support in the years to come, and NRC will do everything it can to provide it. We call on funders to prioritize children in Gaza to protect their future,” Egeland said.
This grant brings ECW funding in the State of Palestine to approximately US$36 million.
Even before the start of the recent unprecedented hostilities, an estimated 800,000 children in Gaza – three-quarters of the total child population – had already been identified as in need of mental health and psychosocial support, ECW said in a press release.
“By investing in minimal continuation of education, mental health and psychosocial support for children and youth in Gaza, we aim to alleviate their suffering and provide these young people with as much hope as possible,” Sherif added.
United Nations reports indicate that serious violations of human rights and humanitarian laws against children are widespread in Gaza. Hundreds of girls and boys are reportedly killed or injured every day. “Right now, Gaza is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child,” UNICEF said.
This grant brings total ECW funding in the State of Palestine to approximately US$36 million.
Since 2019, ECW has been providing ongoing financial support for education in the State of Palestine.
ECW joined United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in calling on donors to scale up financing to meet the critical needs of 3.1 million people in the State of Palestine. We must close the financing gap to secure the US$3.42 billion needed.
IPS UN Office Report
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Follow IPS News UN Bureau on Instagram
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
