Email 
Print 
'Everything is
destroyed': Siblings describe destruction of their school in Gaza
Source: UNICEF
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
NEW YORK, USA, 22 January 2009 – When Gaza's schools reopen in the coming days, Maram, 12, does not know where she'll go. "I want to see what happened to my school,"
she said in a telephone interview with UNICEF Radio. "I saw pictures of it – It was very, very destroyed." 
AUDIO: Listen nowMaram and her brother Muhammed, 16, both attended the American International School, one of the
most prestigious private schools in Gaza. In early January, the school was bombed. According to the Associated Press, the Israeli army said Palestinian militants were launching rockets from the
campus. Now the school's 250 students don't know where they'll start the second semester. "I'm in this school from grade three, from the first time it was built," said Muhammed.
"I don't know what I'll do." Muhammed said the United Nations has offered to help rebuild the school. Both he and Maram have heard that the school might set up tents so some classes
can resume. Still dangerous in the streetsNeither Muhammed nor Maram has visited the ruins of the school yet. They said it was still too dangerous to go
out in the streets around the building. In spite of the ceasefire, Muhammed said he still hears sporadic bomb blasts, and he worries there are still tanks in the streets. Both siblings found out that the school was bombed through the Facebook pages of their classmates. On Tuesday, the family left home for their first shopping trip since the
ceasefire took effect, but the devastation they saw around them saddened Maram. "I saw Gaza, it was all, all destroyed. Everything was destroyed," she said. "I feel very sad about Gaza
and I hope that they will rebuild everything again." 'What we want to do is learn'Muhammed has decided to channel his outrage at the destruction
into his studies. "I want to study medicine," he said. "Lots of people got killed. What we want to do is learn and help our country." UNICEF and its partners are working to
open up Gaza's schools as soon as possible. UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Sigrid Kaag described the situation in Gaza as "dire" and has made the repair of
schools UNICEF's first infrastructure priority.
AUDIO: Listen nowMaram and her brother Muhammed, 16, both attended the American International School, one of the
most prestigious private schools in Gaza. In early January, the school was bombed. According to the Associated Press, the Israeli army said Palestinian militants were launching rockets from the
campus. Now the school's 250 students don't know where they'll start the second semester. "I'm in this school from grade three, from the first time it was built," said Muhammed.
"I don't know what I'll do." Muhammed said the United Nations has offered to help rebuild the school. Both he and Maram have heard that the school might set up tents so some classes
can resume. Still dangerous in the streetsNeither Muhammed nor Maram has visited the ruins of the school yet. They said it was still too dangerous to go
out in the streets around the building. In spite of the ceasefire, Muhammed said he still hears sporadic bomb blasts, and he worries there are still tanks in the streets. Both siblings found out that the school was bombed through the Facebook pages of their classmates. On Tuesday, the family left home for their first shopping trip since the
ceasefire took effect, but the devastation they saw around them saddened Maram. "I saw Gaza, it was all, all destroyed. Everything was destroyed," she said. "I feel very sad about Gaza
and I hope that they will rebuild everything again." 'What we want to do is learn'Muhammed has decided to channel his outrage at the destruction
into his studies. "I want to study medicine," he said. "Lots of people got killed. What we want to do is learn and help our country." UNICEF and its partners are working to
open up Gaza's schools as soon as possible. UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Sigrid Kaag described the situation in Gaza as "dire" and has made the repair of
schools UNICEF's first infrastructure priority.
