Gaza children return to tent classrooms as new school year begins

On September 19, Gaza launched a new academic term, enrolling roughly 541,000 students in temporary tent schools after nearly three years of disruption caused by the war that began in October 2023. Families such as Rana Totah’s have struggled to maintain regular schooling while coping with displacement and basic survival tasks. Educators like Nesma Nahid Abu Asim, working through a UNICEF programme, teach in cramped spaces lacking desks, chairs, and textbooks.

UNICEF estimates that about 98% of school structures were damaged, with most requiring extensive reconstruction. Despite a ceasefire, Israeli strikes have continued, resulting in the deaths of two students earlier this month. The situation remains precarious, with limited resources and the constant threat of further interruptions to education.