A/HRC/10/22 page 21 71. The Special Rapporteur notes with concern a 5.6 per cent decline in enrolment rates for school grades 1 to 10 between 2000-2001 and 2006-2007.57 In September 2007, UNRWA reported a failure rate of 80 per cent for grades 4 to 9, with rates of failure as high as 90 per cent in mathematics. The protracted collapse of the economy of Gaza and mounting food insecurity has further impeded the enjoyment of the right to education, as hundreds of children have been forced to search for work in order to contribute to the basic needs of their families at the expense of their schooling.58 72. The destruction of schools and restrictions on the entry of supplies necessary to guarantee access to education, as well as the prolonged deterioration of Gazan educational infrastructure, constitute violations of the right to education. The Special Rapporteur recalls that, while education is often interrupted in times of conflict, its restoration is an urgent priority. It is essential to generating a culture of mutual respect, breaking the cycle of hatred and prejudice between the peoples of the region and establishing a lasting peace. 73. As pointed out in the Special Rapporteur’s first report, military occupations are an appreciable curb on the human right to education, and the most egregious example is that of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (E/CN.4/2005/50, para. 124). The recent events in Gaza provide an even stronger illustration of the violations of the right to education in a conflict situation. F. Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences 74. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, expresses her grave concern at the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law witnessed during the recent Israeli military attacks against the Gaza Strip. The scale of civilian deaths, injuries and destruction during the offensive was unprecedented by all accounts. Among the casualties, it is estimated that 114 women were killed and 800 suffered injuries. 75. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights stated that women suffered critical injuries from bombs, artillery shells, rockets and live ammunition as well as from bombs believed to have contained white phosphorous. The Special Rapporteur is particularly concerned by reports of women being killed while inside their own homes trying to protect their children or attempting to escape bombardment, sometimes after having been ordered to leave their houses by the Israel Defense Forces.23 Some of the injuries sustained by women resulted in maiming, including amputations conducted in inadequate medical facilities. 76. The denial of safe access to pregnant women to appropriate health care and hospitals owing to the constant shelling constitutes a grave violation of human rights. In a press release dated 14 January 2009, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that the continuing violence and displacement presented serious risks to more than 40,000 pregnant 57 Agence France Presse, “Gaza blockade threatens education crisis: UNICEF”, 1 February 2008. 58 Save the Children, “Crisis Deepens for the Children of Gaza”, 30 December 2008 and Oxfam America, “Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza”, 11 March 2008.