Палестина: Училищни униформи горят в знак на протест

Would-be-pupils burnt their school uniforms as hundreds of protesters descended on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Headquarters in Gaza, on Monday. The protest was against the UNRWA's decision to delay to the start of the academic year in over 700 Middle Eastern schools. The UNRWA made the decision after not being able to fill a $101 million (€90.9 million) shortfall in its budget. It is thought the delay will affect an estimated half a million school children in total. The decision will not only hit students in Palestine, but also affect around 118,000 children in Jordan, many of whom are Palestinian refugees. Austerity measures, due to a lack of donors, have meant the UNRWA has had to cut back everything but non-essential services. The services still provided by the agency in the region include sanitation, health and poverty relief. It is still undecided when the new academic year will start.