UNRWA official says 70pct of agency's schools are destroyed

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini said that more than 70 percent of the agency's schools in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.

He also said that a majority of them have become shelters crowded with hundreds of thousands of displaced families and cannot be used for education.

Lazzarini added in a post on X, "More than 600,000 children there are deeply traumatised, living in the rubble. They continue to be deprived of learning + schooling. Half of them used to be in UNRWA schools.

“The longer children stay out of school, the higher the risk of a lost generation, fuelling resentment and extremism," Palestine News and Info Agency (Wafa) reported.

With more than 70 percent of the schools destroyed or damaged, Lazzarini said the vast majority of them are now overcrowded shelters with hundreds of thousands of displaced families.

"With no ceasefire, children are likely to fall prey to exploitation including child labour and recruitment into armed groups.

“We have seen this way too often in conflicts around the world, let’s not repeat it in Gaza. A ceasefire is a win for all: it will allow respite for civilians, the release of the hostages and a flow of much-needed basic supplies including for learning," he said.

- Bernama- Wafa

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