2 May 2024, Geneva, Switzerland - In the wake of the ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip, the Education Cluster, in collaboration with UNOSAT, has released a comprehensive report detailing the devastating impact of the conflict on the education infrastructure.

For 17 years, the Gaza Strip has endured a stifling blockade and recurrent conflicts, resulting in the weakening of its education system.

The recent surge in hostilities has witnessed a distressing trend of attacks on school facilities, exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation for children and educators alike.

Since October 7th, the Education Cluster and UNOSAT have diligently monitored and reported damage to schools, leveraging initial reports from Cluster partners, UNOCHA, and UNRWA. Additionally, the Education Cluster Assessment Team (ECAT) has been deployed to verify damages whenever the situation allows.

Field assessment was impossible due to obvious security reasons and increased access limitations. Hence, the Education Cluster conducted a satellite-derived damage assessment to update and better understand the extent of the damage to school buildings, relying on UNOSAT data.  The methodology classified the probability of damage based on proximity to damaged sites, revealing alarming statistics:

• 85.8% of schools sustained some level of damage, including Direct hits, Damaged, and Likely damaged.
• At least 72.5% of schools will require full reconstruction or major rehabilitation.
• Nearly 29% of directly hit or damaged schools are UN-run schools under UNRWA's jurisdiction.
• 65.3% of school buildings used by internally displaced persons (IDPs) as shelters have suffered direct hits or damages.

Furthermore, the report sheds light on the distressing revelation that schools are being utilized for military purposes by Israeli Security Forces (ISF), including detention, interrogation centers, and military bases.

The Education Cluster calls for urgent action to protect educational institutions and uphold the rights of children to access safe and quality education, as guaranteed by international law.

This report underscores the critical need for an immediate ceasefire and sustainable solutions to rebuild Gaza's education infrastructure and safeguard the future of its children.