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Millions of Middle Eastern Students Losing Education Opportunities in Aftermath of Israel-Gaza War

  • Carrie Dedrick Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated Sep 10, 2014

Though the war between Israel and Palestine is over, civilians are still suffering from the effects of the conflict. The Christian Post reports that millions of students in the Middle East are losing education opportunities because families fled the region and many schools have yet to reopen. 

Children’s education in Iraq and Syria is also suffering due to the persecution and violence in the region at the hands of the Islamic State. 

A report from the Italian Red Cross and the AGIRE netword said, "The problem concerns not only minors who are displaced or refugees in these countries, but also the numerous young people living in the areas where people in flight have sought safety. Very often schools, which are not destroyed or damaged or used as headquarters for armed groups, are occupied by communities of displaced persons.” 

"In many cases there is no other option: refugee camps are often overcrowded or in precarious conditions and the only possible shelters for those not staying in private homes, are parks, abandoned buildings and schools."

Schools in Gaza were supposed to open on Aug. 24 but the opening date has been pushed back to Sept. 14. These schools affect more than 240,000 students. Even worse, three million children in Syria have been forced to leave their education since civil war broke out in the nation in 2011. 

The Red Cross/AGIRE report said one in five Middle Eastern schools cannot operate due to lack of resources. "There are no books, no desks, no sanitary services and, in many parts of the country, no available teachers,” the report states. 

Volunteer Daniele Grivel said that schools are working to provide students what education they can, but more help is needed. "We have started a programme of informal instruction in tents and arranged double shifts in practicable school buildings, but we will never succeed in meeting all the needs,” Grivel said. 

Publication date: September 10, 2014