Children in Gaza defy trauma to return to school

17/3/2025 19:15

Children have returned to school in Gaza, taking classes in tents or in the rubble of schools where families sheltered during the war, but trauma, aid blockades and the threat of more fighting could derail their drive to learn.



At least 14,500 children were killed in the war and thousands wounded, according to UNICEF. More than 400 teachers were also killed, the U.N. says, and now most of Gaza's children need mental health support for trauma, aid agencies say.



Children are not necessarily just picking up from where they left off when the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, "because of all the learning loss and the deep psychological impact of the war," said Kate McLennan, Middle East regional advisor on education at rights group War Child.



"There is also trauma attached to schools, which are generally understood as places of learning and safety and where you go to play with your friends (but have) been used as shelters," she said.