Context: Since October 7, 2023, the escalation of conflict in Gaza has resulted in significant civilian casualties, with children disproportionately affected. UNICEF reports over 5,000 child deaths and 12,000+ injuries as of March 2024, alongside widespread displacement and destruction of critical infrastructure, including 85% of schools (UNICEF, 2024).
This note examines the debate over integrating survival skills into education for Gazan children, drawing on data from UN agencies and institutional analyses.
Physical Safety: With 67% of Gaza’s health facilities non-functional (WHO, 2023), teaching first aid, wound care, and emergency evacuation protocols could mitigate preventable deaths. UNICEF’s Education in Emergencies framework highlights such training as critical in conflict zones.
Empowerment and Agency: Children constitute 50% of Gaza’s population (UNICEF), often navigating dangers independently. Survival skills like identifying safe routes or shelters may enhance their agency. UNESCO’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report notes that crisis-adapted education can foster resilience.
International Precedent: The Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) endorses integrating safety training into curricula, as seen in South Sudan and Ukraine, where children reported feeling “more prepared” for threats (INEE, 2021).
A UNICEF mental health assessment (2024) found 88% of Gazan children exhibit symptoms of severe psychological distress, including hypervigilance. Overemphasis on survival risks exacerbating trauma by reinforcing a “culture of fear,” warns Dr. Audrey McMahon of UNESCO.
Schools in Gaza now operate at triple capacity as shelters (UNRWA, 2024). Redirecting scarce educational resources to survival training could deprive children of literacy and numeracy, violating their right to holistic development under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Critics argue survival training may inadvertently legitimize prolonged conflict. A 2023 Brookings Institution paper cautions that such measures could reduce international pressure for ceasefire by framing violence as “manageable.”
Both sides agree on the urgency of protecting Gazan children but diverge on methods. Proponents prioritize immediate physical safety, while opponents stress long-term psychological and developmental harms.
Pair survival skills with psychosocial support, as modeled by UNICEF’s Healing Classrooms initiative in Yemen, which combines safety training with art therapy.
Engage parents and teachers to avoid overburdening children, per UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development guidelines.
Pair training with robust international diplomacy to address root causes, aligning with the UN’s humanitarian-principles framework.
While survival skills offer pragmatic benefits, their implementation must avoid exacerbating trauma or replacing foundational education. A hybrid model, endorsed by UN agencies, could balance immediate safety with long-term well-being, ensuring Gazan children are neither abandoned to crisis nor deprived of their future.
UNICEF: 2024 Gaza Humanitarian Response Plan, Mental Health in Emergencies UNESCO: 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report, Education Under Attack INEE: Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies OCHA: 2024 Gaza Flash Updates Save the Children: Syria Crisis Response Evaluation (2022) Brookings Institution: Ethics of Education in Prolonged Conflict (2023)