Gaza City: A strike by teachers and personnel in Gaza kept more than 200,000 children from returning to school for the new term yesterday, as the UN agency that employs them struggles financially.
Several thousand teachers, assistants and administrative personnel protested in front of the headquarters of UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.
The union for UNRWA staff in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory hit hard by three wars in six years, an Israeli blockade and economic crisis, called for the protest with some employees at risk of losing jobs because of a lack of financing.
Out of a population of 1.8 million in Gaza, some 1.26 million are refugees, according to UN figures. UNRWA oversees education for most children — some 225,000 in 245 schools. Dozens of schools were damaged and affected by last summer’s war between Palestinian militants and Israel.
AFP
