Palestine: Lessons from UNESCO's crisis–disaster risk reduction programme in Gaza

From 2009 to 2012, UNESCO operated a crisis–disaster risk reduction programme to protect education from attack in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Programme activities included establishing school safety committees; psychosocial support; an SMS alert system; human rights monitoring and reporting of violations of the right to education; and training on the INEE Minimum Standards, on safety and evacuation, and on first aid. The programme supported local protection strategies and worked closely with existing response structures such as those of the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the education cluster. This study provides a detailed description of programme activities, identifies lessons learned and includes up-to-date reflections following the devastation of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. It is proposed as a resource for education stakeholders in other countries where education requires protection from insecurity and armed conflict.