Paris (TDI): Pakistan’s Ambassador to France, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, addressing the Eighth Special Session of the UNESCO Executive Board, highlighted the dire plight of Gaza’s students amid ongoing Israeli atrocities and urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes.
Ambassador Ahmad painted a grim picture of the devastation in Gaza, underscoring the impact on education.
He lamented that “nowhere else in the world today has education been attacked to a level seen in Gaza,” noting that nearly 10,000 students have been killed, 15,000 injured, and over 400 teachers lost their lives, with more than 2,400 injured, according to a statement released by Pakistan’s Embassy in Paris, France.
He further said that much of the region’s educational infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving an entire generation without access to learning.
The ambassador condemned the violations of international humanitarian law, accusing Israel of perpetuating war crimes and crimes against humanity through its prolonged blockade, denial of humanitarian assistance, and targeted attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers.
He revealed that 247 staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) have been killed, marking the highest loss of life ever recorded among UN personnel in any conflict.
Also Read: Pakistan Demands UNSC Action for Gaza Ceasefire
Ambassador Ahmad reiterated Pakistan’s strong support for UNRWA’s operations, urging UNESCO to back the agency’s educational activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
He stressed the critical importance of ensuring the continuity of UNRWA’s work and warned against any attempts to hinder or politicize its mandate, calling such actions a direct affront to UNESCO’s mission and global commitments to Sustainable Development Goal 4.
“Education, as a fundamental right, cannot be denied, especially to the most vulnerable,” he stated, emphasizing that any disruption to UNRWA’s efforts would have severe humanitarian consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees.
Envoy Criticizes Lack of Timely Action by UNESCO’s Leadership
Ambassador Ahmad criticized the lack of timely action by UNESCO’s leadership during the crisis, including the failure to invite the Head of UNRWA to address the session.
He urged member states to fulfill their responsibilities to uphold the organization’s credibility and mandate.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s longstanding support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, the ambassador called for an immediate, durable, and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.
Also Read: No Global Stability Without Resolving Gaza Crises: Pakistan
He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in line with relevant UN resolutions.
The session, convened at a critical juncture, saw a renewed call for global solidarity to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and safeguard the rights of its most vulnerable populations.
