- The number of children affected by the crisis who need educational support increases significantly: Education Cannot Wait publishes a new study of global estimates

A new analysis indicates that 224 million children urgently need quality educational support, 72 million are out of school. Quality education is key to ensuring better learning outcomes

GENEVA, June 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Armed conflict, forced displacement, climate change and other crises have increased the number of crisis-affected children in urgent need of quality education to 224 million, according to a new Estimates Study Global Funds released today by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies.

"We are sounding alarm bells around the world, once again. Millions of children are being denied their human right to education and the number is growing. And even when they can go to school, they are not really learning because the quality of education is simply too low," explained Yasmine Sherif, executive director of Education Cannot Wait.

Around 72 million of the children affected by the crisis in the world do not attend school, more than the populations of the United Kingdom, France or Italy. Of these out-of-school children, 53% are girls, 17% have functional difficulties and 21% (around 15 million) have been forcibly displaced. Approximately half of all children out of school in emergencies are concentrated in just eight countries: Ethiopia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Mali and Nigeria.

It's not just an access issue, it's a quality issue, according to the study's findings. More than half of these children (127 million) do not reach the minimum skills described in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4), which call for inclusive and quality education for all.

Investing in girls' education yields significant benefits. Even in crisis situations, the proportion of girls achieving minimal reading proficiency is consistently higher than their male counterparts, according to the study's analysis.

The biggest challenges are affecting the children of Africa. Approximately 54% of crisis-affected children worldwide live in sub-Saharan Africa. The region experienced a large-scale increase in the number of children affected by crises, driven mainly by large-scale droughts in East Africa and the increasing intensity of various conflicts.

ECW seeks to mobilize at least US$1.5 billion over the next four years to reach a total of 20 million children with the security, power and opportunity that comes with access to quality, inclusive and comprehensive learning opportunities.

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