Delegation of the European Union to Russia
Delegation of the European Union to Russia
12/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/09/2024 15:00
EU joins the Statement of Shared Commitments on UNRWA
As children return to school all over the world this September, we must not forget that for nearly a year over 600,000 children in Gaza have been robbed of their childhood and denied their right to education. Too often over the past months we have seen attacks on schools, including those sheltering displaced children and their families. There can be no justification for such attacks, which constitute flagrant violations of international law. As set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, education is a fundamental right and is a basic need for children caught up in humanitarian crises. It must be protected.
Recognising that UNRWA plays an indispensable role in the provision of education to children in Gaza and the West Bank, this year the EU has provided EUR 82 million to support the Agency's vital work. Likewise, as one of UNRWA's top donors, in July the EU was proud to join the Statement of Shared Commitments on UNRWA, proposed by Slovenia, Jordan, and Kuwait, and officially launched in the margins of the UNRWA Pledging Conference in New York. The Shared Commitments recognise the important and indispensable role of UNRWA, including in "providing life-saving assistance to generations of Palestinian refugees through the provision of essential education, health, relief and social services programmes and emergency assistance".
The EU's Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza similarly emphasises the importance of education, in particular the need to revive learning opportunities and re-establish safe spaces for children. Both of these initiatives represent the conviction of the EU and the recognition of the broader international community of the fundamental need to get children back to learning.
As noted by Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, on the occasion of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack:
"…attacks on education deprive children of their fundamental right to learn, impact their immediate and long-term development and deprive them from a better and more peaceful future…
…In Gaza, over 92% of all school buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Every university in Gaza has been destroyed. This is why, in June 2024, the EU - jointly with the Missions of Jordan and Belgium - launched a Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza to raise awareness and increase humanitarian support….
…All must protect education from attack and address the impact of armed conflict and violence on children's education is an urgent necessity. The right to an education free from violence must be respected and fulfilled for every child, everywhere."
Children's right to quality education does not stop in times of humanitarian emergencies, so the EU will continue to step up and speak out for the realisation of this right for all children, including those in Gaza and the West Bank.
#EducationNoMatterWhat
Statement on the International Day to Protect Education from Attack - 2024