Gaza - Fletcher UNRWA school visit - 7 February 2025

Description
STORY: OCHA / FLETCHER GAZA UNRWA SCHOOL
TRT:  6:34
SOURCE: OCHA
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT OCHA ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 7 FEBRUARY 2025, DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA

Shotlist
1. Wide shot, USG Fletcher arriving at UNRWA Prep School A, in Deir al Balah
2. Various shots, life in the school 
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“So, a generation of kids are missing out on school right now, and they're growing up under the bombs here in Gaza.”
4. Various shots, school
5. Wide shot, USG Fletcher greeted by children in the school
6. Various shots, life in the school
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“We've got to get that generation back into school. And that is why UNRWA's work here is so important, because they run the Palestinian education sector here in Gaza, and no one can replace that right now. And these kids are crying out for hope. They're telling me that they want education. We've got to get these schools back open.”
8. Various shots, life in the school

Storyline
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, visited an UNRWA-run shelter for internally displaced people in Deir al Balah today (07 Feb), before heading to Jerusalem via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Fletcher met with displaced families, who spoke of the hardships they have endured over the past 16 months. He also heard from staff managing the shelter about the ongoing response and challenges they face in providing critical support.

The UNRWA site is one of the many schools in Gaza that were turned into shelters for displaced families. Mr. Fletcher met children who are missing out on their education, stressing the need to re-open schools in Gaza as soon as possible.  

In Jerusalem, the Under-Secretary-General met with heads of UN aid agencies and other humanitarian organizations. They discussed ways to sustain the humanitarian scale-up in Gaza, as well as continue critical support across the West Bank.