Civil Society Groups Applaud U.S. For $37 Million Contribution to Education Cannot Wait

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September 2021
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Civil Society

View the statement on the Global Campaign for Education.

As organizations committed to ensuring that all children and adolescents affected by crisis and conflict achieve an education, we applaud the U.S. Government for its September 27, 2021, announcement of $37 million in funding to Education Cannot Wait (ECW).

Delivered through USAID and the U.S. Department of State, this funding will support ECW’s global education work and includes dedicated support to build resilient education systems in conflict-affected communities in northern Mali. It demonstrates the leadership role the U.S. has taken in providing education in crisis and conflict settings and its long-standing support to ECW, the only global fund for education in emergencies.

The U.S. joined Germany, the European Union/European Commission, The LEGO Foundation, France, Switzerland, and Porticus in announcing a total of $138.1 million in new contributions to ECW on the sidelines of this year’s United Nations General Assembly. In a statement released by ECW, USAID Administrator Samantha Power noted that, “Education Cannot Wait is an educational lifeline in dozens of crisis-affected countries globally. We look forward to continued cooperation to increase access to education, improved learning outcomes, and to reach the most marginalized students.”

Continued support for ECW during these challenging times is imperative. The U.S. Government has been a key ECW partner since its inception in 2016 and we are encouraged to see this support remain strong as we confront the long-term educational impacts of COVID-19, record levels of forced displacement, and an increase in natural disasters.

“It is crucial to increase funding for inclusive education and early childhood support to prevent lost generations of learners and help young people reach their potential – especially in emergency settings and for girls, children and youth with disabilities, and all traditionally marginalized groups. GCE-US applauds the U.S. Government’s commitment to ECW, and the funding could not come at a better time,” said Jennifer Rigg, Executive Director, Global Campaign for Education-US.

“Refugees and other forcibly displaced persons are facing unprecedented challenges, including limited and disrupted access to education,” said Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Director, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA. “By focusing on the educational needs of students affected by displacement, ECW is filling a vacuum and creating opportunities for students and teachers in conflict settings and countries in crisis around the world that otherwise wouldn’t exist.”

“These funds will be helpful to reach the most crisis-affected and unreached children and adolescents,” said Bhim Bahadur BK, Director, PDRC International.

“As a partner with ECW in places like Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe as well as a member of its Executive Committee, I can testify firsthand how critical these resources are and the value-for-money that ECW interventions represent,” said Marco Grazia, Global Director for Child Protection & Education in Emergencies, World Vision International. “This much-welcomed and much-needed U.S. contribution will significantly contribute to ensuring the right to quality education for the most marginalized children in crisis and conflict contexts.”

The new $37 million contribution complements $38 million in U.S. contributions since 2016 for a total of more than $75 million, nearly doubling U.S. government support. With robust leadership from Congressional champions, the U.S. Congress included $25 million in funding for ECW in the final FY20 and FY21 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bills as well as the FY22 House-passed bill.

These funds will help accelerate the impact of ECW’s education in emergencies investments, which have already reached more than 4.6 million crisis-affected children and adolescents. ECW’s COVID-19 response has reached an additional 29.2 million vulnerable girls and boys in 32 countries.

For more information, please contact Giulia McPherson, Director of Advocacy & Operations, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA and Chair, Education in Emergencies Working Group, Global Campaign for Education-US, at giulia.mcpherson@jrsusa.org or 202-629-5942.

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