Challenges persist in aid operations, restoring education in Gaza: UNRWA official

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Challenges persist in aid operations, restoring education in Gaza: UNRWA official

2024-12-02 16:57 Last Updated At：21:37

An official from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Sunday highlighted the ongoing challenges in aid operations in Gaza and emphasized the need for a ceasefire to ensure the restoration of local education.

During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Scott Anderson, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, shared insights on relief operations and challenges encountered by schools in Gaza.

"We do have the ability to bring aid in, the crossings in the north are working, so we do have food coming in. And the biggest difference is that in the bakeries in the north, people are queuing up and waiting and they will get bread. And here in the south it's not the same. So, we've had a couple incidents in the last two weeks where people have died, and it has created a very difficult environment for us to operate in and across Gaza. But we're doing everything we can to try to get aid in for the population and to meet their needs," he said.

The UNRWA official emphasized that a complete restoration of education in Gaza will not happen until a ceasefire is agreed upon, but a return to learning program has been started to help the children catch up in their studies.

"There should be over 600,000 children in schools now, including over 300,000 in UNRWA schools. So, we worked with the Ministry of Education, UNICEF, we've started a return to learning program. It's not the same as education, but we want to get the children doing something that's positive for them in a safer environment. There won't be a true return to education until there's a ceasefire. And what's needed more than anything for the people in Gaza is a ceasefire and once that happens, we can start rebuilding everybody's lives and get children back in school. I think, like the parents here, I'm concerned it's becoming a lost generation. Between COVID-19 and the conflict for the last five years, children haven't been in the school building, and they haven't been in school at all the last two years. So, there's a lot of work to do to make sure that they can catch up in their studies and they can reach their full potential," Anderson said.

Instead of serving as safe places for learning and development, most of Gaza’s schools have been turned into communal displacement centers; 95 percent of them have been damaged or destroyed as attacking a school can be a grave violation of international law, according to UNICEF.

Flying Tigers exhibition in Xinjiang highlights China-US friendship

2024-12-02 20:39 Last Updated At：21:07

A photo exhibition dedicated to the Flying Tigers kicked off on Saturday in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Co-sponsored by the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and Xinjiang's government departments, the exhibition features 312 rare photographs and six artifacts, highlighting the enduring friendship between Chinese and American people.

Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, expressed hope that the exhibition tour would help more people know about the history of the close cooperation between China and the U.S. in the fight against Japanese invaders during World War II.

"We have many, 50 plus schools throughout China. Most of them we've visited. We have 25 schools in America. So anyway, the significance is we can talk in a way that no other group can talk. We have something in common. The thing in common is what the American pilots and the Chinese people did together 80 years ago," said Greene.

Besides the photo exhibition, the delegation from the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation also went to Xinjiang University and other places to award the title of "Flying Tigers Friendship School" to seven schools in Xinjiang.

"The story of the Flying Tigers is well known in China. I believe that the story and spirit of the Flying Tigers symbolize justice, peace, friendship and cooperation. This event is also an opportunity to tell the story of Xinjiang and amplifies the image of Xinjiang to the American public," said Xu Guixiang, Secretary of Party Committee of the Foreign Affairs Office under the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Government.

The Flying Tigers, officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, was formed in 1941 by U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault. They came to China to help Chinese people fight the invading Japanese troops.

While the Flying Tigers did not directly engage in enemy forces in Xinjiang, they share a lesser-known connection to the autonomous region.

During World War II, the Flying Tigers made attempts to establish alternative flight routes over the Himalayas, known as the Hump route, to circumvent Japan's blockade of strategic materials.

The foundation initiated the Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders Program in 2022 to promote the spirit of the Flying Tigers among Chinese and American students and deepen mutual respect and cooperation. To date, the program has partnered with nearly 60 schools across China.