New York / PNN /
Sarah Abu Nada, a member of Palestine’s delegation to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), affirmed that the Israeli occupation has destroyed everything that falls under the organization’s mandate in the Gaza Strip—from education to cultural heritage—throughout two years of genocidal acts committed against Palestinians in the Strip.
Abu Nada, who serves as project officer in the Palestinian delegation, noted that UNESCO is marking its 80th anniversary this year since its establishment following World War II.
She explained that the organization’s core mission has always been—and remains—“to build peace in the minds of men and women,” because hatred and violence invariably begin in the mind.
She stressed that UNESCO builds its vision for a more just and peaceful world by focusing on education, and its mandate rests on four main pillars: education, science, culture, and freedom of expression.
She added, “I can say that everything related to UNESCO’s fields of work has been completely destroyed during more than two years of Israeli genocide.”
The genocide committed by Israel with U.S. support since October 8, 2023, has left more than 69,000 Palestinians martyred, over 170,000 injured, and around 9,500 missing—either under the rubble of destroyed homes or with their fate still unknown.
Describing the scale of devastation in Gaza, Abu Nada said that “more than 90 percent of Gaza’s schools have been completely or partially destroyed, while over 200 archaeological and cultural sites have been damaged.”
She pointed out that more than 230 journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks—the highest journalist death toll in any conflict since World War II.
She emphasized that all sectors under UNESCO’s mandate in Gaza have suffered massive destruction and that “reconstruction will take a long time.”
She noted that the World Bank has estimated the cost of rebuilding Gaza at more than $50 billion.
Abu Nada said that the Palestinian delegation at UNESCO has taken important steps within the organization’s authority since the start of the war.
Among these steps was the inclusion of Gaza’s cultural sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger during UNESCO’s 42nd General Conference in 2023.
She noted that the organization cooperated with specialized satellite agencies to monitor the condition of damaged heritage sites.
She also referred to initiatives linking the Palestinian Ministry of Education with Gaza’s universities to create support programs, including the “Virtual Campus” project, which aims to unify university databases and ensure the continuity of the educational process.
She stated that UNESCO allocated a budget of $2 million to support projects in Gaza despite a significant funding shortfall.
Abu Nada confirmed that over the past two years she has observed strong support from UNESCO member states for Palestine in decisions related to Gaza, noting that member states show clear concern for the humanitarian situation in the Strip.
She concluded her remarks by saying: “I hope we can give Palestinians more space to appear and speak—to tell what they have lived through and what they are still living. We must work to document what has happened instead of burying it.”
