Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
January 27, 2026 Culture and education
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced a major expansion of the Back to Learning program in Gaza, one of the world's largest education initiatives in extreme conditions. The program will reach 336,000 children deprived of access to education due to two years of war.
According to UNICEF Representative James Elder, the situation in the sector remains critical: 60 percent of school-age children are unable to attend in-person education, more than 90 percent of schools have been damaged or destroyed, and over 335,000 children under five are at risk of severe developmental delays due to the collapse of services.
Progress has come to naught
Elder emphasized that before the war, literacy rates in Gaza were high, and education was a key element of sustainability and development. Today, however, schools, universities, and libraries have been destroyed, and years of progress have been effectively reversed.
"Every child who is deprived of an opportunity to learn is a potential engineer, doctor, or teacher we lose before they can change their world," Elder said.
How the program works
Together with the Palestinian Ministry of Education, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and other partners, UNICEF is rolling out a network of multi-functional learning centers. Children will receive basic reading, writing, and math skills, psychosocial and mental health support, and access to healthcare, nutrition, and protection services.
UNICEF currently supports more than 100 such centers, but demand far exceeds capacity: there are long waiting lists everywhere, and families are setting up makeshift classrooms in tents and destroyed buildings.
"Education saves lives"
James Elder noted that education in Gaza is not a secondary concern, even amid the shortages of water, food, and shelter. Education centers provide security and access to vital information, making them part of the humanitarian response.
UNICEF also continues to supply winter clothing and blankets to Gaza and is working to restore water treatment systems and open feeding centres.
"Hope becomes reality"
Almost half of Gaza's population are children. To ensure education for 336,000 schoolchildren by the end of the year, UNICEF needs $86 million. "That's about what the world spends on coffee for an hour or two," Elder noted.
He emphasized that the "Return to Learning" program is a bridge to restoring a fully functioning education system, not a replacement: "Our task now is to restore elements of normal life to children and show them a direction for development. Hope is becoming a reality."
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