‘My studies, my life’: War leaves Gaza students hungry and out of school – Al Jazeera

Report on the Educational Crisis in Gaza and its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in the near-total collapse of the educational system, creating a severe humanitarian crisis that directly contravenes multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The destruction of infrastructure has shifted the focus of the student population from learning and personal development to basic survival, primarily the search for food. This report details the impact of the conflict on education and associated SDGs, based on accounts from students and official assessments.

Devastation of Educational Infrastructure: A Blow to SDG 4

Systematic Destruction of Facilities

The conflict has inflicted catastrophic damage on Gaza’s educational infrastructure, fundamentally undermining SDG 4 (Quality Education). Official data indicates a systematic and widespread pattern of destruction.

• According to the Palestinian Minister of Education, Amjad Barham, the destruction is a deliberate attempt to “kill hope” among the youth.
• A satellite-based damage assessment from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in July provides the following statistics:
  1. 97% of all educational facilities in Gaza have sustained some level of damage.
  2. 91% of these facilities require major rehabilitation or complete reconstruction to become functional again.
• The Palestinian Ministry of Education reports that 293 out of 307 schools have been either completely or partially destroyed.

Barriers to Learning

Beyond physical destruction, access to educational materials is severely limited. UN OCHA notes that restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities continue to limit the entry of essential educational supplies, compromising the quality and scale of any potential educational interventions. For students like 19-year-old Saja Adwan, an honours student, this means the loss of all books and study materials, leaving her to review meagre remaining papers to keep her mind occupied.

Compounding Crises: Setbacks for Multiple SDGs

SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

The crisis has forced a regression in human development, directly impacting SDG 1 and SDG 2. The immediate need for survival has superseded all other ambitions for Gaza’s youth.

• Maha Ali, a 26-year-old honours student, articulates this shift in priorities: “We have been saying for a long time that we want to live, we want to get educated, we want to travel. Now we are saying we want to eat.”
• The widespread destruction has exacerbated pre-existing conditions of poverty and high unemployment, pushing the population into a state of extreme deprivation where securing food is the primary daily objective.

SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

The obliteration of the education sector cripples the long-term prospects for economic recovery and sustainable community development, directly affecting SDG 8 and SDG 11.

• The destruction of institutions like the Islamic University and the al-Azhar Institute eliminates the pathways for developing a skilled workforce, essential for future economic growth.
• Students like Yasmine al-Za’aneen, 19, have seen their educational and entrepreneurial efforts completely erased. She stated, “everything I had built, everything I had done. Just in seconds, it was gone.”
• The demolition of schools and universities represents a critical failure to build and maintain the inclusive, safe, and resilient infrastructure central to SDG 11.

SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

The targeting of educational facilities constitutes an attack on the foundational institutions of a peaceful and just society, as outlined in SDG 16. The Palestinian Minister of Education has characterized the actions as the “systematic destruction of schools and universities.” This undermines the very fabric of civil society and eliminates spaces that foster peace, stability, and future leadership. The loss of these institutions represents a profound setback for establishing a just and functional society in the future.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – The article explicitly mentions the struggle for food and the prevalence of hunger among the population in Gaza.
• SDG 4: Quality Education – A central theme of the article is the destruction of educational institutions and the interruption of learning for students at all levels.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The article details the ongoing conflict, high death toll, and the systematic destruction of public institutions like schools and universities, which are fundamental to a peaceful and just society.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
  
  Explanation: The article highlights a shift in priorities from education to basic survival, as stated by student Maha Ali: “Now we are saying we want to eat.” This directly points to a failure to meet this target, as the population is experiencing severe food shortages and hunger.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.
  
  Explanation: The article states that a whole generation, “from primary school through university students,” has been “robbed of an education,” indicating a complete halt in primary and secondary education for children in Gaza.
• Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.
  
  Explanation: The personal stories of university students like Maha Ali, Yasmine al-Za’aneen, and Saja Adwan, whose studies at institutions like the Islamic University and al-Azhar Institute were abruptly stopped, show that access to tertiary education has been eliminated. Yasmine states, “Because of the war, everything was stopped. I mean everything I had built, everything I had done.”
• Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
  
  Explanation: The article provides direct evidence of the opposite of this target. It reports the “systematic destruction of schools and universities,” with statistics from the Palestinian Minister of Education that “293 of 307 schools have been destroyed completely or partially” and a UN assessment that “97 percent of educational facilities in Gaza have sustained some level of damage.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
  
  Explanation: The article directly quantifies the failure to meet this target by stating, “More than 61,000 people have been killed by Israel’s war on Gaza.” This high death toll is a clear indicator of extreme violence.
• Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels… to prevent violence.
  
  Explanation: The article describes the “systematic destruction of schools and universities” as an act by which “the occupation wants to kill hope.” The destruction of the educational system is a direct attack on a fundamental national institution, weakening the society’s capacity to function and recover.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 2

• Qualitative indicator of food insecurity: The article implies severe food insecurity through the testimony of a student, Maha Ali, who says her generation’s ambition has been reduced to simply finding food: “Now we are saying we want to eat.” This serves as a powerful qualitative indicator of widespread hunger.

Indicators for SDG 4

• Proportion of schools with access to basic services (Indicator 4.a.1): The article provides clear negative indicators for this.
  • The number of schools destroyed or damaged: “293 of 307 schools have been destroyed completely or partially.”
  • The percentage of educational facilities damaged: “97 percent of educational facilities in Gaza have sustained some level of damage.”
  • The percentage of facilities needing major reconstruction: “91 percent requiring major rehabilitation or complete reconstruction to become functional again.”
• Qualitative indicator of educational disruption: The personal accounts of students being “robbed of an education” and having their studies and ambitions “gone” in seconds serve as an implied indicator for the collapse of the education system and the failure to ensure access (Targets 4.1 and 4.3).
• Restrictions on educational supplies: The statement that “Restrictions by Israeli authorities continue to limit the entry of educational supplies into Gaza” is a specific indicator of barriers to re-establishing education.

Indicators for SDG 16

• Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (Indicator 16.1.1): The article provides a raw number that can be used to calculate this rate: “More than 61,000 people have been killed.” This is a direct measure of conflict-related deaths.
• Existence of independent national human rights institutions (Indicator 16.a.1): The article implies a severe weakening of institutions through the “systematic destruction of schools and universities,” which are pillars of a functioning society. The destruction itself is an indicator of the state of institutional strength and safety.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: aljazeera.com