For Children of Gaza, War Means No School

01Atef al-Buhaisi is a six-year-old from the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

02He once dreamed of a career building houses.

03Now all he wants is to return to school.

04In Israel's war with Hamas, Atef's home has been bombed, his teacher killed, and his school in Nusayrat made into a refuge for displaced people.

05He lives in a crowded tent with his family in Deir al-Bala in central Gaza.

06The war started last October.

07It was Israel's answer to the Hamas attack on October 7th.

08The terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 250 hostages from southern Israel.

09Since the start of the war, all of Gaza's schools have closed, leaving hundreds of thousands of students like Atef without formal schooling or a safe place to spend their days.

10Aid groups are working to keep children off the streets and their minds centered on something other than the war.

11What we've lost most is the future of our children and their education, said Irada Ismail, Atef's grandmother.

12Houses and walls are rebuilt.

13Money can be earned again.

14But how do I compensate for his education?

15Aid groups say about 80% of Gaza's population has been driven from their homes.

16Much of Gaza is damaged or destroyed, including nearly 90% of school buildings.

17The Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, says more than 35,000 Palestinians, including civilians and fighters, have been killed in the war.

18And the head of the UN World Food Program said a full-blown famine is already underway in the north.

19Children are among the most severely affected.

20The UN estimates some 19,000 children have been orphaned and nearly a third under the age of two face malnutrition.

21In emergencies, education is less important than safety, health, and sanitation, education experts say.

22But the effects are lasting.

23Before the war, Gaza was home to more than 625,000 students and some 20,000 teachers, the UN says.

24In other conflicts, aid groups can create safe spaces for children in neighboring countries.

25Poland has been used for shelter and schooling for Ukrainians during the war there, for example.

26That is not possible in Gaza, a highly populated area locked between the sea, Israel, and Egypt.

27Since October 7th, Palestinians from Gaza have not been permitted to cross into Israel.

28Egypt has let a small number of Palestinians leave.

29Tess Ingram is with the Children and Education Organization, UNICEF.

30She told the Associated Press, It's very hard to provide them with certain services, such as mental health and psychosocial support or consistent education and learning.

31Aid groups hope classes will start by September.

32But even if a ceasefire deal is reached, much of Gaza must be cleared of mines.

33And rebuilding schools could take years.

34In the meantime, aid groups are providing activities like games, drawing, and art.

35The activities are not a formal education, but provide children with a sense of normalcy.

36Even then, supporters say, their attention often turns to the war.

37Atuf's grandmother sees him draw pictures only of tents, planes, and missiles.

38Finding free space is among the biggest difficulties.

39Some volunteers use the outdoors, do their best inside tents where people live, or find a room in homes still standing.

40This month, UNICEF had planned to build at least 50 tents for some 6,000 children from preschool to grade 12 to provide some informal schooling.

41But UNICEF says those plans could be disrupted by Israel's operation there.

42Lack of schooling can cause psychological impacts.

43It disrupts daily life, and combined with conflict, makes children more likely to experience anxiety, said Jesus Miguel Perez Cazorla.

44He is a mental health expert with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

45Children in conflicts are also at increased risk of forced labor, sexual violence, trafficking, and recruitment by criminal and armed groups, experts warn.

46Samantha Nutt is with War Child USA, a group that supports children and families in war zones.

47She said the children are in danger of being recruited by Hamas and other militant groups.

48The constant violence makes children believe that they want to take action against the groups they consider responsible, she said.

49Palestinian parents say they have seen more children on the streets trying to earn money for their families.

50Some try to find small ways to teach their children.

51But many say the kids are too distracted with the world around them at war.

52Sabreen al-Khatib is a mother whose family was displaced to Deir al-Bala from Gaza City.

53She said it is especially hard for the many who have seen relatives die.

54When you speak in front of children, al-Khatib said, what do you think he is thinking?

55Will he think about education?

56Or about himself?

57How will he die?

58I'm Dan Novak.

59And I'm Gina Bennett.