LONDON: Six schools operated by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East remained closed in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, for the first time in the agency’s history in the city following an Israeli ban in May.
About 46,000 Palestinian refugee children returned to UNRWA schools in the occupied West Bank, while 800 pupils from closed schools in Jerusalem had to enroll at alternative institutions. UNRWA schools welcomed 5,000 pupils who entered their first-year classes on Monday.
In Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps in the northern West Bank, 10 UNRWA schools remain closed because of Israeli military operations, leaving more than 4,000 children learning remotely and in temporary spaces, the Wafa news agency reported.
At least 30,000 displaced individuals, about a third of whom are children, have been reported in the northern West Bank since January as a result of Israeli military operations. UNRWA highlighted unprecedented educational disruption from repeated Israeli raids on schools, vandalism, and the effects of displacement on students and ongoing violence.
UNRWA said that protecting the right to education is a top priority, reaffirming its commitment to the future of Palestinian refugee pupils. The agency affirmed that all children, including those in East Jerusalem, have the right to continue their education in a safe and dignified environment, according to Wafa.
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