UNRWA inaugurates renovated Beit Hanoun elementary school financed by Saudi Fund for Development – UNRWA press release

A New School for Palestinian Children

Thanks to the Saudi Fund for Development

Gaza – Mr. Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), today inaugurated a renovated UNRWA Elementary School in Beit Hanoun, in the north of the Gaza Strip.

The UNRWA Beit Hanoun Elementary B&C School has been entirely reconstructed over the past 12 months and dilapidated equipment and facilities have been entirely replaced, ensuring that the school is able to meet the educational needs of future.

The renovations – made possible through a contribution from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) of approximately US$800,000 – have seen the number of classrooms increase from 18 to 25, allowing class sizes to be cut and improving the learning environment for pupils and teachers alike. The additional space will also ensure that the Agency is able to absorb an anticipated increase in pupils in the area in the coming years.

The new school will run in two shifts and will accommodate 2,250 students from Beit Hanoun – both refugees and non-refugees as there are no Palestinian Authority schools in the area.

The SFD is an important donor to UNRWA and has funded several projects, including reconstruction of health centres, rehousing projects for homeless refugees and the construction of schools.

UNRWA is a humanitarian relief and human development agency providing education, healthcare, social services, micro-credit and emergency relief to over four million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic.

-Ends-

For more information: Jamal Hamad Office: +972 08 6777213 Mobile : 059 41