on Occasion of New School Year: ActionAid Palestine to Put Smiles on the Faces of Children in the Jordan Valleys
Palestine-Jordan Valleys-ActionAid Palestine (AAP)supported the return of children to their schools through Global Platform Palestine (GPP) in Bedouin Communities in Al-Newemah,Fasyal and Al-Auja by providing 100 children with stationary and school bags. This support aims to support the right of children to receive education and put a smile on their faces. Those communities suffer from difficult political and economic conditions resulting from demolition orders, settlers’ violence and damage of agricultural lands and lockdown caused by the spread of COVID-19.
This response was implemented in coordination with the Directorate of Education in Jericho and Jordan Valleys on the occasion of Back to school. It also came within youth initiatives that AAP supports to respond to crisis of COVID-19 by strengthening the role of youth in preparedness and response actions in emergency cases and engaging them in many voluntary works aiming to promote the resilience of their community.Implmenting this response coincided with the International Day to Protect Education from Attack which falls on 9th of September that was marked by United Nations for the first time to draw attention to children’s urgent needs to educational support and strengthen their resilience. It also pays a special attention beyond the needs of learners whose establishments were temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
51 Palestinian schools are currently under threat of demolition -43 located in Area C and 8 in East Jerusalem- having received partial or full demolition order, in addition to or stop work order due to lack of building permits, which are rarely issued by the Israeli authorities due to the political situation. About 5,200 students are affected by this situation that prevents both the maintenance and expansion of school infrastructures. In 2019 alone, 20,000 Palestinian students were directly affected by numerous violations at the hands of Israeli authorities.
On this occasion, AAP’s country director, Ibrahim Ibraigheth said: " the previous threats have psychological impacts on the Palestinian children who live in those communities. Every child has the right to receive education safely. It is not acceptable to threaten this right. AAP will continue supporting this right through our programs and join advocacy efforts that local and international organizations exert in demanding Israel to respect that right according to international obligations”.
Background Information
ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working for social justice and gender equality and eradicate poverty. ActionAid works worldwide to empower people living in poverty and exclusion with focus on women’s rights .ActionAid works directly and closely with communities, civil society organizations, women movements and social groups and movements and other allies to tackle root causes of poverty and oppression. ActionAid deliver grassroots programmes to utilize efforts of global struggle movements working for a just, fair and sustainable world. Based on human rights-based approach and women rights’ principles, ActionAid seeks to fairly re-distribute powers through solidarity, empowerment, awareness campaigns and creating alternatives to ensure that everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from oppression.
ActionAid in Palestine (AAP) is a part of that federation which started its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of Palestinian People as ActionAid believes that they should enjoy their rights to freedom, justice and self-determination. AAP implements a number of programs through its engagement with communities and women and youth groups seeking to empower them and enhance their influential civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective activism to address the protracted rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation of Palestine. AAP works simultaneously to enhance their leadership capacity and knowledge to practice their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers to account.
For more information, please contact
Riham Jafari
Coordinator of Advocacy and Communication in Gaza Strip and West Bank
Mobile:
+972 (0) 595242890
Office:
+972 (0) (2) 22 13 137
Email: