UNICEF’s James Elder said trauma weighs heavily on Palestinian children, and education is fundamentally critical in the effort to rebuild Gaza.
The United Nations Children’s Fund spokesperson, who has been to Gaza several times since 2023, said driving through the enclave yesterday was heartening, as children were joyous and wearing “wall-to-wall smiles.” But he said the impact of war will likely be visible for many years to come.
Speaking of the famine experienced in Gaza, Elder said that “malnourished children end up, quite frequently, being stunted. That has a cognitive decline.”
The spokesperson said that the immune systems of the children have been severely compromised, describing the youngsters as “shattered.” He added that a third of all births in the first half of this year were to malnourished babies, or babies who went straight into incubators.
“The level of trauma, which is unprecedented, we can’t even start to treat the post-traumatic stress disorder in children because it’s being intersected — there is no ‘post’ yet, it’s day-to-day trauma — that has to start with the classroom,” Elder said.
While missed education is bound to affect each child, Elder stressed that the role education can play in the restoration of Gaza is crucial in elevating the quality of life for the entire population. He said, “If Gaza is to rebuild, if Palestinians are to take agency again, education is that bedrock.”
