Some 222 million crisis-affected children do not have access to adequate education

The number of crisis-affected children requires urgent help in education alarmingly increasingThe United Nations global fund for education in emergency situations and protracted crises warned on Tuesday, specifying that the figure went from 75 million in 2016 to 222 million today.

According to a new report from Education Can’t Waitof that total, 78.2 million children are not in school and 120 million do attend classes but do not have the minimum proficiency levels in math or reading.

Furthermore, only 10% of those who attend primary or secondary education meet the proficiency standards.

According to the study, 84% of children out of school due to crisis live in countries such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan or Yemen, where there are wars and other factors that distance or prevent children from going to school. In Ukraine, it is estimated that in just a few months the conflict has affected 5.7 million children of school age.

fundraising campaign

The resources to respond to this pressing reality are insufficient and the COVID-19 pandemic has widened the deficit, which is why Education Cannot Wait and its partners launched a campaign to mobilize resources today in Geneva.

The initiative “#222MillionDreams” seeks to raise funds from donors, the private sector and other actors to expand its operations, which already provide quality education to more than five million children in more than 40 crisis-affected countries.

“The world has the economic resources to ensure that every child receives a quality education. Now, we must take responsible action for the 222 million children and adolescents in emergencies and protracted crises. Governments, the private sector and foundations can and must unlock these resources,” said Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education.

Brown added that Only then will children have the tools necessary to reach their full potential.

UNICEF Chad/2020/Nancy Ndal-lah

These students from Bol, Chad received support packages from Education Cannot Wait and UNICEF.

Let’s make your dreams come true

For her part, the director of Education Cannot Wait, Yasmine Sherif, urged global action, arguing that the dreams of 222 million children are based on their experiences of wars and forced displacement.

“This is our moment to empower them to turn their dreams into reality. They dream of becoming their own potential instead of being victims. let’s not let them down. It is our duty to empower them through education and make their dreams come true,” Sherif said.

In the 2030 Agenda, world leaders committed to ensuring a inclusive, equitable and quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, as proposed by Sustainable Development Goal 4.

However, it is estimated that the pandemic and other factors reversed two decades of progress in education. According to the UN, many of the least developed countries have poor basic school infrastructure: only 54% of schools have access to clean water, only 33% have reliable electricity supply and only 40% have washing facilities. hands.

Next September, the UN will hold the Summit on the Transformation of Educationsummoned by the General secretaryAntónio Guterres, with the purpose of promoting political action and solidarity to transform education and recover lost ground.