The Racial Equality and Ethnicity Balance Network invites you to donate to UNICEF in support of education in Palestine.

Education is highly valued among families across the State of Palestine, with 95.4 per cent of children enrolled in basic education. But these impressive rates of enrollment mask the challenges of access to school, as adolescent boys and children with disabilities are vulnerable to dropping out of school. By age 15, nearly 25 per cent of boys and 7 per cent of girls have dropped out of school, while 22.5 per cent of boys and 30 per cent of girls aged 6-15 years with a disability have never enrolled in school.

In addition, close to half a million children in Palestine also require humanitarian assistance to access quality education. The protracted conflict and violent episodes of escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the closure of the Gaza Strip, and physical access restrictions, pose daily challenges and threats to the fulfillment of children’s rights. Violence against children in all its forms is of serious concern, as it compromises children’s learning and future potential. Children experience distress, fear and intimidation going to and coming from school in high-risk locations where they frequently have to pass through checkpoints or walk by settlements. Constant exposure to conflict, economic hardship, and increased poverty, all contribute towards the acceptance of violence as a social norm, which has adverse effects on children.