Agencies-Gaza post
UNRWA opens pilot trilingual new school in Saida, Lebanon
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) opened on Friday the newly constructed Trilingual UNRWA al-Sakhra Co-educational School in Mieh Mieh, Saida.
Dorothy C. Shea, US Ambassador to Lebanon; Anne Grillo, French Ambassador to Lebanon; Ashraf Dabbour, Palestinian Ambassador to Lebanon; Bassel El Hassan, Chairperson of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee (LPDC); Leni Stenseth, UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General; and Claudio Cordone, Director of UNRWA Affairs, Lebanon Lebanese politicians, leaders of the Palestine refugee population in Lebanon, instructors, students, and parents also attended the opening.
The UNRWA al-Sakhra Co-educational School was created with the co-funding of the governments of the United States of America and France and with the support of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The recent purpose-built school replaces two rented school buildings, ensuring students receive quality, equitable and inclusive education. The new facility handles serious challenges with overcrowding, small classrooms, and poor lighting and ventilation, as well as addressing the prior lack of facilities in the leased school buildings by providing science labs, libraries, and large playgrounds.
UNRWA is testing a trilingual Arabic-English-French approach to education delivery in the new school, in keeping with Lebanon’s multilingual context. For nearly 1,000 Palestinian refugee youngsters, the new co-ed school provides a safe learning environment. It has 28 spacious classrooms, a library, a theater, laboratories, and two playgrounds and activity areas to give pupils cutting-edge resources.
“Whether providing education and health care or emergency assistance for people afflicted by war, UNRWA is a lifeline for vulnerable Palestinians,” said US Ambassador Dorothy Shea.
“It is critical to provide a dignified existence for Palestine refugees and to support UNRWA, in collaboration with its partners, especially in the sector of education,” said French Ambassador Anne Grillo. Lebanon’s future can be built through education and its availability to all students.”
“The creation of this new school compound came as a result of initiatives aimed at alleviating the suffering of Palestine refugees,” said Palestinian Ambassador Ashraf Dabbour. It was made feasible by collaboration between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the governments of the United States of America and France. This is also a result of our commitment to our people and our responsibility to ensure that future Palestinian generations thrive and form the backbone of an independent Palestinian state.”
The Chairperson of LPDC, Bassel El Hassan, said: “Despite all the difficulties and challenges, we are committed with our partners to building hope, creating optimism, and promoting stability, under the rule of the law and in respect of legitimacy. High-quality education is a gateway to development, and development is a gateway to strength, recovery, and self-confidence… and all of that is a bridge to justice, right, and a better future. The Palestinian camps, the neighboring and host communities deserve all attention, care, and support, which the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee is keen to provide, as part of the Lebanese government’s policy towards the Palestinian cause and the refugee issue.”
UNRWA Deputy General-Commissioner Leni Stenseth said, “We celebrate today this achievement that will first and foremost improve the learning experience of our students. This Trilingual school is a new example of the Agency’s continued investments in expanding human development and opportunities for Palestine refugees. A good school environment is a key component in providing refugee children with quality, equitable, and inclusive basic education. I express sincere thanks and appreciation to the United States, France, and the PLO for this generous donation, which once again reaffirms their commitment and support to UNRWA and Palestine refugee children in Lebanon.”
The United States and France are two of UNRWA’s main donors. UNRWA received $338.4 million from the US government in 2021, and €23.55 million from the French government. UNRWA continues to offer critical humanitarian assistance to Palestine refugees thanks to the continued support of donors such as the United States and France.
Source: WAFA
