Education Cannot Wait Announces US$2.8 Million Grant to Strengthen Coordination and Response of Education in Emergencies Investments

Education is the most powerful tool to improve individual lives and societies as a whole, and deliver on the promises outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is important in times of peace, but even more crucial during crises. However, amidst armed conflicts, climate-induced disasters and forced displacement, education is often the first service suspended and the last to be restored.

To strengthen system-wide education in emergencies and protracted crises response, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) announced today a US$2.8 million grant to the Global Education Cluster (GEC), co-led by Save the Children and UNICEF. The 36-month Acceleration Facility grant will strengthen education in emergency preparedness and response capacity, bolster data generation, and enable GEC to increase its advocacy to mobilize greater support and collective action for the sector.

“In responding to the needs in crisis-affected areas, it is critically important to ensure coordination and cooperation. For this reason, Education Cannot Wait invests in long-established coordination mechanisms designed for humanitarian settings. For situations where children and adolescents have had their education disrupted as a result of forced internal displacement and/or destruction of their schools in their villages and towns, ECW invests in the Global Education Cluster, and hence, its clusters in-country. In doing so, we jointly ensure strong coordination with all partners. By strengthening this partnership coordination and cooperation among all actors, we are paving the way to reach even more of the world’s 224 million crisis-affected girls and boys who urgently need the protection, opportunity and hope of quality education,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the Global Fund for Education in Emergencies and Protracted Crises.

Through its partnerships, GEC works towards a predictable, equitable and well-coordinated response to address education concerns of crisis-affected populations. This is achieved by reinforcing capacities of cluster staff and partners, providing rapid remote and direct field support, and strengthening robust assessment, analysis, strategic planning and advocacy.

“The Global Education Cluster is committed to ensuring all children and youth have equitable, uninterrupted access to protective, inclusive, quality education. Education Cannot Wait and the Global Education Cluster have a strong partnership anchored in the direct role cluster coordination has in addressing these issues to advance our shared goal of a response that leaves no one behind. Faced with increasing crises and growing education in emergencies needs, this partnership will reinforce cluster coordination as an indispensable pillar in realizing ECW’s vision and strategy,” said Friedrich Affolter and Michelle Brown, Global Education Cluster Co-Coordinators.

The extension of this partnership aims to realize the shared vision of ECW and GEC to ensure girls and boys living in emergencies and protracted crises are able to learn, develop and thrive. The grant will also help amplify the reach and impact of ECW’s strategic priorities – including gender equality, localization, protection, mental health and psychosocial support, inclusion and more.

ECW’s Acceleration Facility funding mechanism is dedicated to supporting the creation of global public goods and resources for the education in emergencies sector. This new grant brings total ECW investments through its Acceleration Facility window to nearly US$30 million. This latest investment is a key part of ECW’s Strategic Plan to mobilize US$1.5 billion over the next three years to reach 20 million crisis-impacted children.