As we cross the halfway mark of 2023, the world has already been rocked by several major humanitarian crises that have impacted children’s education.
From the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, the escalating conflict in Sudan, and the hunger crisis in East Africa, to more localised and targeted situations such as the terrifying school attacks in Western Uganda or the ongoing ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan. These emergencies follow in the wake of protracted war in Ukraine, the residual impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis which is impacting us all. Consequently, the education of many of the world’s children is under extreme threat.
So why have the world’s richest countries only mustered just over half of Education Cannot Wait $1.5 billion funding target, leaving the fund grossly under-resourced to tackle a deteriorating problem?
We owe it to children and youth around the world to ensure that they are not overlooked in our crisis responses. Our children’s future, and indeed our world, depends on the urgency and sufficiency of our actions today.