“What we need now are notebooks, books, and pens. We want to get our lives back,” said young Palestinian student, Sham Al-Abd, who now attends the Deir al-Balah Joint Elementary School run by the UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA).
Despite the broken furniture and few drawings brightening the classroom walls, the children’s excitement to return remains undiminished after months of sheltering from bombs.
One of Sham’s classmates, Asil Al-Loh, expressed her joy: “We want to learn and play, and study all subjects as we did before. Now we only study Arabic, English and mathematics.”
Following the ceasefire in Gaza, UNRWA has begun restoring a sense of normalcy in schools that had previously been used as shelters. Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, announced the expansion of the agency’s “Return to Learning” programme, which offers both in-person and online education.
At Deir al-Balah, remnants of its time as a shelter are still visible. Families continue cooking meals in the corridors, and tents still occupy the schoolyard.
When student Shahd al-Bahisi returned to the school, she described finding it “destroyed” and said that “many displaced people were still there.” Yet, like her classmates, she remains determined to resume her studies.
Some classrooms still lack chairs, and the floors are covered with tarpaulins and blankets. Even so, the resilience of Gaza’s children is unmistakable.
According to UNRWA Spokesperson Inas Hamdam, more than 62 000 students have benefited from temporary learning services since August 1, 2024. Deir al-Balah is one of several schools converted from shelters, and the agency continues to open more temporary learning spaces.
Ms Hamdam added that around 300 000 students in Gaza are also accessing distance learning, supported by 8 000 teachers. “Children, wherever they may be, deserve a chance at life, dignity and education,” she said.
Despite the destruction, the laughter and chatter of Gaza’s children once again echo through the halls of Deir al-Balah’s classrooms, a powerful symbol of hope amid ruins.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
