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A UN-backed global fund that supports education in emergencies will provide $2.5 million to ensure that thousands of children affected by gang violence in Haiti can attend school in safety. 

Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), announced the grant on Friday in the capital, Port-au-Prince, during a high-level UN mission to the Caribbean country.

The aim is to reach nearly 75,000 children and adolescents in the hard-hit departments of Ouest, home to the capital city, and Artibonite.

"World leaders must not turn their backs on the girls and boys of Haiti. These children, teachers and families have seen their human rights and human dignity ripped from their hands by brutal acts of violence, disorder and chaos. With the power of education, we can protect these girls and boys from the grave risks of sexual violence, forced recruitment in armed groups and other human rights violations. With the power of education, we can lift up an entire nation from a never-ending cycle of hunger, poverty, economic uncertainty and violence," said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations.

During a high-level UN mission to Haiti, Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine Sherif announced a fast-acting US$2.5 million First Emergency Response grant that will provide life-saving access to quality education for girls and boys impacted by the rise in violence, insecurity and forced displacement that has pushed millions of children into harm's way. Total ECW funding in Haiti now tops US$15.8 million.

In response to these challenges, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its global strategic partners announced today a new US$8 million catalytic Multi-Year Resilience Programme grant that will be delivered by a consortium of partners, led by RET International in coordination with Ecuador's Ministry of Education and local partners, to reach a total of 42,700 children and adolescents. Consortium partners include Plan International, Child Fund, and the Ibero-American Institute of Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Andrés Bello Convention Organization (IPANC-CAB).

La educación es un salvavidas para los niños y niñas que viven en Ecuador. Dos de cada diez infancias refugiadas y migrantes no asisten a la escuela. La violencia, la incertidumbre económica y la inseguridad continúan afectando a la nación y a la región en su conjunto. Hacemos un llamado urgente a las y los líderes mundiales para que para aumentar el financiamiento. Nuestra inversión en la educación es nuestra inversión en el vasto potencial de las infancias y jóvenes de América Latina», dijo Yasmine Sherif, Directora Ejecutiva de Education Cannot Wait, el fondo global para la educación en emergencias y crisis prolongadas dentro de las Naciones Unidas.

On 14 February, 2020, Education Cannot Wait announced the flagship of MYRP in three regional states of Ethiopia – Somali, Oromia and Amhara. The programme boasted a substantial budget of USD 27 million in seed funding for three years. With its resilience and determination, the Somali Region has been allocated 53% of the total allocation/fund. This budget encompasses the implementation costs, consortium, and grantee allocations, which are earmarked for national and sub-national education cluster coordination alongside emergency and refugee response initiatives.

In the Somali Region, the project targeted eight districts and 43 schools ravaged by climate-induced and artificial disasters; the project has been instrumental in making significant strides toward providing children with access to a secure, fair, inclusive, equitable, and quality education.

For more than 222 million children around the world who currently live in a conflict zone, however, the ability to learn is treated more like a luxury than a right.

“During major active conflicts, it’s very dangerous to go outside of the home,” ​Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), told Global Citizen. “Boys may be kidnapped to join armed groups; girls may be sexually abused — it’s a complete disruption of your environment that prevents you from accessing basic services like education.”

While speaking in Yola on Friday during the flaggoff of the distribution of instructional materials and school games facilities, Mr. Joel Jutum, UNICEF Education Consultant Bauchi field office, said that the investment of his organisation in education, especially in the North-east is to ensure that all children return to school after the insurgency experience witnessed in the area.

Jutum added, “UNICEF in partnership with our generous donors, including the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait.

Noting that political support and policy commitments are fundamental to securing funding for education in emergencies, education funds such as GPE and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) are critical. Not only do they serve as catalysts for more funding, but they can also bridge the gap between humanitarian and development assistance through coordination at the global and country level.

At present, the World Bank’s portfolio in support of education opportunities in the Sahel is significant and includes US$1,635 million in national and regional projects specifically targeted at addressing key gaps in the education and skills development sectors. This engagement also builds on the Sahel Education White Paper, a comprehensive analysis of the education sector in the Sahel and the Regional Education Strategy for Western and Central Africa. Germany supports basic education through multilateral funds such as Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). Since 2017 Germany has contributed €328,8 million to ECW and is the largest donor of the fund. With a contribution of €321 million for the years 2021-2026, Germany is the fourth largest donor of GPE in its current strategic phase (2021-2025).

The key will be focusing on skills training fit for the 21^st century. But it must start from early childhood education and continue all the way to secondary school and university. And it must include holistic supports such as school feeding, vocational training, catch-up classes and mental health and psychosocial support. These are essential in equipping today's youth with the skills they need to thrive in this changing economy.  

Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations, is one of the world's few multilateral funds to include youth representation in our governance structure. These young leaders were the catalysts behind our new #Youth4ECW campaign, which is activating youth networks worldwide to call for increased opportunities for today's young people.

Somalia sits on the frontlines of the global climate crisis. Last year, a ‘Super El Niño’ event caused widespread flooding across the country, impacting over 2.5 million people. Recent heavy rains have made matters even worse.

To provide children and adolescents access to quality education, enhance preparedness and create an anticipatory action framework ahead of future climate hazards, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) announced today a US$5 Million First Emergency Response package that will be delivered across two phases over 18 months by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), in collaboration with local and international partners.