UNITED KINGDOM, December 18, 2011 (WAFA) - The United Kingdom announced that it would help tackle the desperate need for school places for refugees in Gaza with support for 24,000 children to attend school. Half of these will be girls, Sunday said a press release.
The press release stated that the British support, through the Palestinian Authority – United Nations Trust Fund, will allow the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to construct 12 new schools.
It added that International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, visited Gaza for the first time to see for himself the work that UNRWA is already doing to address the education problems in Gaza.
It stated that access to education has been severely limited by ongoing movement and access restrictions in Gaza. The refugee student population grew by nearly 10%, 2007 – 2010, while all construction, including schools, was suspended.
It added that UNRWA provides education for nearly 212,000 refugee children in Gaza; 1,410 students are educated in shipping containers, around 8,000 students rotate their learning periods between classrooms and the school courtyard, while 95% of UNRWA schools are running at double capacity and 40,000 refugee children have no school place.
On his visit, the Development Secretary met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ,Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and, as well as, Israeli Minister Benny Begin to discuss the ongoing political situation, the need for increased access and movement of goods and people into and out of Gaza.
He added that “Today, I have seen for myself the vital work that UNRWA, supported by Britain, is doing to address the problems in Gaza. I have met children whose lives will be vastly improved by access to even the most basic education, and the teachers whose dedication means their pupils have the chance of a brighter future.”
Prime Minister Fayyad said that “The Palestinian Authority is committed to ensuring that all Palestinian children have access to quality education.”
“There is an urgent need to improve educational facilities in Gaza and we welcome the UK's support for these much-needed new schools,” he said.
He added that “This support will be channeled through the Palestinian Authority and United Nations joint Trust Fund, which the PA established with the UN in 2010 as part of our commitment to supporting state building and development throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with the first priority being early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza.”
To be noted that whilst in Gaza, Mitchell visited the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and laid a wreath.
The UK will provide the support through a Palestinian Authority (PA)-UN Trust Fund. The implementing agency for construction will be UNRWA who will also operate the schools.
In 2010 the PA and the UN established the joint PA/UN Trust Fund to support state building and development in the OPTs including early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza. Given the importance of education and the high needs in Gaza, the PA and the UN have prioritized the construction of UNRWA schools in Gaza.
The Trust Fund is governed by a Management committee, co-chaired by the PA and the UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC). The committee also includes the World Bank, five contributing donors, two UN Heads of Agencies on a rotating basis, designated by the RC/HC.
The UNRWA education project will ensure improved access to UN human rights-based education for vulnerable refugee students.
M.G./F.R.
