EU and UNICEF Join Hands to Support Palestinian Children’s Access to Cash Transfers and Safe Education – Press Release

Arabic: العربية

EAST JERUSALEM, 6 September 2022 – UNICEF is receiving EUR 3.8 million from the European Union (EU) to support Palestinian children with cash transfers, remedial education, summer activities and water, sanitation and hygiene in schools.

UNICEF’s child sensitive cash transfers will help almost 9,000 vulnerable children in the Gaza Strip meet their basic needs and receive psychosocial support. The children’s households are poor and had their homes partially damaged or destroyed in the May 2021 escalation.

This new EU-supported programme is a collaboration between UNICEF and the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development. It aims to address a critical humanitarian situation, while strengthening the national social protection system to make it more child sensitive and more responsive to shocks.

In addition, the EU and UNICEF remain committed to supporting children affected by emergencies with access to quality education in safe and protected learning environments. More than 500,000 school aged children from the poorest communities in Area C, H2 Hebron, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip need education support.

The EU will support remedial education to improve the numeracy and literacy skills of at least 5,000 elementary grade pupils in Gaza schools and engage boys and girls who are at risk of dropping out. Recreational programmes and fun learning activities will also be organised for 10,000 children in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip during the summer break of 2023.

Finally, the partnership with the EU will benefit over 4,200 students by rehabilitating water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in 17 schools in Tubas and Hebron governorates, distributing hygiene kits, and hygiene promotion in schools.

The EU is an important humanitarian partner for UNICEF programming in the State of Palestine and the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.