HIGHLIGHTS
New report says half of all 68 UNRWA schools in Lebanon have been directly impacted by conflict and violence.
‘Grand Bargain’ at World Humanitarian Summit sees donors commit to more and longer-term funding in exchange for greater efficiency and transparency from aid agencies.
Nearly $30 million in cash assistance delivered to vulnerable families in Lebanon since January.
Around 60 million people – half of them children – are displaced around the world.
Half of all UNRWA schools impacted by conflict New report highlights damage and disruption to Palestinian schools Nearly half of all UNRWA schools, from Gaza to Lebanon, have been directly impacted by armed conflict and violence since the beginning of the Syria crisis, according to a new report released by UNRWA at the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS). In ‘Schools in the front line’, UNRWA estimates that 302 – or 44 per cent – of all its schools have been directly affected by violence in the last five years, either through physical damage or a significant disruption of education services. In Syria, 34 of the 118 UNRWA schools have been fully or partially damaged, and 12 currently operate as collective shelters for over 2,500 IDPs.
Schools are also severely affected by conflict in Lebanon: in an opinion piece published on 23 May, UNRWA commissioner-general Pierre Krähenbühl says over 50 per cent of the Agency’s schools in Lebanon have been impacted at one time or another, with classes suspended for up to a week at a time.
UNRWA schools play a key role in Lebanon, as Palestine refugees face many challenges in accessing public schools in the country. The 67 UNRWA-operated schools serving the Palestine refugees who live in the 12 camps and 42 gatherings in Lebanon operate in very challenging conditions to provide education to almost 35,000 Palestine refugee students, including about 5,000 Palestine refugee children from Syria.
Major challenges in Ein el Hilweh camp
The UNRWA report highlights Ein el Hilweh camp (EEH) in Saida, southern Lebanon, which experiences frequent unrest, including violent confrontations between armed groups which took place in August 2015. During the fighting, six out of nine UNRWA schools in EEH sustained major damage due to small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, and seven of the schools were used or entered by members of the armed factions. The report notes that 810 students left EEH schools after the clashes because of security concerns.
During his visit to EEH camp on 18 May, Lebanon Humanitarian Coordinator Philippe Lazzarini visited Marj Ben Amer school, one of the schools that was occupied by armed men during the August clashes, alongside the heads of UNDP and OCHA as well as the Deputy Director of UNRWA. Nesrin Ayoub, the school principal, highlighted severe damage to the school, from unexploded ordnance to shattered windows and bullet-pocked walls. After repairing the classrooms, UNRWA organized intensive psychosocial support for students and teachers. The students also follow a rigorous evacuation drill to reach designated safe havens during the frequent eruptions of violence in the camp.
Promoting education in emergencies
Since it was created in 1949, UNRWA has educated three generations of Palestine refugees, or more than four million refugee children. Altogether, the Agency’s 692 schools in the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank currently provide free education for around half a million refugee children.
In response to the intense violence affecting its schools, UNRWA is implementing an ‘Education in Emergencies’ programme that aims to ensure continued education for Palestinian children during violence and conflict. The strategy includes strengthening the security of schools, identifying alternative safe learning spaces, engaging in advocacy, and providing psychosocial support to students and teachers.
Schools are protected civilian spaces under international humanitarian law. Following UNRWA-led advocacy in August 2015, the EEH Higher Security Committee released a statement “condemning the use of UNRWA installations for armed operations” and stating that “this should not be repeated”.
UNRWA’s approach was highlighted at the WHS side event on ‘Delivering quality education in emergencies’, where ten organizations shared practical experiences and discussed innovative solutions to the challenges of providing education in conflicts and emergencies. One of the key outcomes of the WHS was the launch of ‘Education Cannot Wait’, a Fund for Education in Emergencies that mobilized an initial commitment of $90 million from donors and the private sector, with greater commitments expected in the run-up to the next UN General Assembly in September.
UNRWA calls for more education funding as $81 million deficit looms
With the 2016-2017 school year just around the corner, the UNRWA report urges all armed actors not to target its schools or use them for military purposes, and to guarantee children’s safe access to schools. Funding for the new school year also remains a key issue for the Agency, which faces an $81 million deficit.
The report calls on donors to continue to fund the Agency’s education, protection and psychosocial support activities. In his 23 May opinion piece, Pierre Krähenbühl highlighted the example of EEH schoolgirl Batoul, a 14-year-old Palestine refugee from Syria who lost her father and brother in the war but went on to become the highest-performing student in her school. “Batoul has shown the courage to act,” he wrote. “We must act decisively to help her and hundreds of thousands of UNRWA students realize the dreams they are working so hard to keep alive.”