UN schools for Palestinians reopen despite funding cut

Tens of thousands of Palestinian children returned to United Nations-run schools after the summer holidays on Wednesday, though major US cuts have thrown their funding into jeopardy beyond next month.

Children wearing chequered uniforms and backpacks thronged schools across the Palestinian territories for the first classes of the new school year, AFP correspondents reported.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said all 711 schools it runs for 526,000 pupils in Gaza and the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria would reopen in the next few days despite the $300 million US funding cut.

Fears raised by UN chief Antonio Guterres that the schools might not be able to reopen at all failed to materialize but UNRWA warned it might still be forced to close them again in a month if additional new funding is not found.

“At the moment, we do not have enough money to keep the schools open after the end of September,” UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness told AFP.

“At the end of September, UNRWA will be running on empty for all its services, including schools and medical facilities.”

In 2017, the US, which is traditionally the largest single donor to UNRWA, contributed more than $350 million.

But so far this year, it has given just $65 million following President Donald Trump’s decision to withhold aid to the Palestinians.

Parents expressed deep concern about the uncertainty hanging over their children’s education.