thrives in the absence of reliable information caused by communication blackouts; a tried and tested method for warring parties to control narratives and information flows. Disinformation is a serious protection risk, which poses a threat to societal cohesion, aggravates violence, undermines peacebuilding efforts, and subjects civilians to further harm. Additionally, prolonged internet shutdowns have severe and far-reaching socioeconomic consequences that may persist long aLer connectivity is restored. Economic recovery following such blackouts is oLen slow and difficult, especially when internet infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. Likewise, internet shutdowns deny people the opportunity to resume their work or education, both of which are key for ensuring wider social and economic stability. In Gaza, which used to have one of the highest education rates in the region, 97% of schools have been damaged or destroyed, all universities have been destroyed, and more than half a million children have been out of formal education for over two years. Internet shutdowns have contributed to this systematic “scholasticide” since students, educators, and humanitarian organizations have been unable to rely on the internet to continue teaching and learning online. With almost half of Gaza’s population under the age of 18, the impact of such education loss is incalculable, and without reliable solutions, the UN has repeatedly warned that we are likely to see a “lost generation” of children. In Sudan, the situation is equally dire, with 80% of all children out of school. Wartime internet shutdowns, compounded by a preexisting digital divide and fragile digital infrastructure, have severely limited opportunities for remote learning. UNICEF estimates that education losses could result in a net lifetime income loss of USD $26 billion for the war-affected generation of children. Over time, internet shutdowns weaken societies’ long-term resilience by reducing overall human capital, limiting economic growth, diminishing civic participation, and perpetuating intergenerational cycles of poverty and inequality. These intergenerational harms demand more extensive empirical research and study in order to accurately capture the impact of wartime internet shutdowns on individuals and society as a whole. F., LAWYER, JABALIA REFUGEE A., STUDENT, DONGOLA, SUDAN / CAMP, GAZA / SHUTDOWN STARTED: SHUTDOWN STARTED: FEBRUARY 7, OCTOBER 19 2023 2024 “The communications blackout had a significant impact on my family, especially my sick mother, whose mental state deteriorated as a result. During the last ten days of October, we began to experience significant difficulties in communicating and found it difficult to contact our relatives. With the start of the ground invasion and difficulties of moving around, we began to experience a different kind of war, with the communications blackout allowing rumors to spread at an unimaginable rate. We heard many stories circulating, and the biggest problem was that we could not refute them because we did not know what was really going on around us. AKer a few days, the real news became clear, and we realized that what we had heard was false. We wondered who was spreading these rumors that served Israel’s interests.” “I can’t contact my family or friends, and I need to get a birth certificate, but there’s no way now. Before the blackout, my friend traveled in this dangerous situation to take her university exam online. Now she can’t communicate with me or her family, and she couldn’t take the test. Before the blackout, she told me she was afraid of communication interruptions, especially since the country is unsafe.” E M12, STUDENT, KHARTOUM / SHUTDOWN STARTED: FEBRUARY 6, 2024 “The internet shutdown in Sudan has leK my family disconnected, and I have no news about them. I haven’t been able to live my normal life since the internet was cut off. It was a deliberate act by rebel forces against Sudan. People can’t obtain passports or travel permits since everything was previously linked to the internet. My university switched to remote learning aKer the war, and now,