Amman, Jan. 27 (Petra) - The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that about two and a half years of Israeli attacks on education in the Gaza Strip have put an entire generation at risk, noting that 60% of school-age children are currently not receiving in-person education, while 90% of schools have been damaged or destroyed.

According to the official United Nations website, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said at a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday that the organization is working to expand its Back to Learning program to include 336,000 children.

He added that the top priority is to bring children back to education immediately, often in tents and community centers, without waiting for new schools to be built.

He said that learning "saves lives," noting that learning centers provide safe spaces, adequate sanitation facilities, and a daily routine for children and link them to health, nutrition, and protection services.

He explained that most learning centers will be in the central and southern areas of the Strip, where conditions remain difficult in the north due to extensive destruction in recent months.

The UN official said the cost of educating one child in a UNICEF center is about $280 per year, noting that providing education for 336,000 children this year requires $86 million urgently.

He said the program seeks to keep hope alive, give children a daily routine, and restore dignity and guidance to them.

UNICEF announced that it has, for the first time in two and a half years, succeeded in bringing school and recreational supplies into Gaza, including pens, notebooks, and wooden blocks, with plans to bring in 2,500 additional school kits next week.

//Petra// AF