New ECW Results Report highlights significant learning
outcomes achieved for children and adolescents in crisis settings
and calls for urgent additional donor support to meet the rapidly
escalating needs.
NEW
YORK, Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global
community is falling behind on its promise to ensure 'quality
education for all' by 2030. Armed conflicts, forced displacement,
climate change, and other emergencies and protracted crises have
left more than 224 million crisis-affected children in urgent need
of education support, a sharp rise from 75 million in 2016.
Despite these growing needs, funding for education in
emergencies and protracted crises dropped for the first time in a
decade, according to Education Cannot Wait's 'Results Against All
Odds: 2023 Annual Results Report', launched today in New York.
Overall humanitarian funding for education decreased by 3% last
year, from US$1.2 billion in 2022 to
US$1.17 in 2023, according to the
report.
Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in
emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations, and
its strategic partners continue to defy the odds, delivering
life-saving, life-sustaining and multi-year investments in
education to the world's most vulnerable children and
adolescents.
Since ECW became operational in 2017, its investments have
reached 11 million children and adolescents, including 5.6 million
girls and boys in 2023 alone. This reach is unprecedented. Yet,
much more resources are needed to meet the needs of the over 224
million children, adolescents and their teachers in need of urgent
support.
To date, the Fund has mobilized more than US$1.6 billion from public and private donors.
However, $600 million urgently needs
to be mobilized in donor contributions for ECW and its strategic
partners to reach a total of 20 million children and adolescents
with inclusive, quality education by the end of its 2023-2026
strategic plan period.
"For our 25 strategic donor partners, these transformative
investments deliver a quality child-centered and holistic
education, and thus represent a commitment to sustainable
development, human rights, economic resilience and global
security," said The Rt. Hon. Gordon
Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of
ECW's High-Level Steering Group. "Education is the most powerful
tool to restore hope in a world marred by brutal conflicts, human
rights violations and inequality. It is our investment in a new
generation of leaders."
Impact, Depth and Sustainability
From Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gaza, the West
Bank, to Haiti, the Sahel,
Sudan, Ukraine and other hotspots around the globe,
ECW's report highlights the profound impact of education in crisis
settings.
"Girls and boys in crises are enduring the worst impacts of
brutal man-made conflicts, forced displacement, climate change and
other disasters. Our new report proves that despite these
challenges, it is possible to provide them with the protection,
hope and life-changing opportunity of a quality holistic education.
To do this, we urgently call for US$600
million to meet our strategic plan targets and ensure a
better future for 20 million girls and boys by the end of 2026,"
said ECW Executive Director Yasmine
Sherif. "This is the time to make a moral choice that is
aligned with political action."
The new report shows ECW's strong focus on the world's most
vulnerable and at-risk children: of the children reached in 2023,
more than half were girls (51%), 17% were internally displaced and
22% were refugees.
The quality and impact of the education delivered – even in the
most difficult of circumstances – is also improving. In all, 9 out
of 10 programmes reported improved school enrollment and 72% showed
gender-equitable progress. ECW reported that, among programmes able
to monitor learning outcomes, 80% of its investments demonstrated
academic improvements and 72% showed improvements in children's
social and emotional learning and well-being.
ECW investments also improved the continuity of learning with
notable increases in the number of girls and boys reached through
the Fund's investments in early childhood education and secondary
school, disability inclusion, gender-transformative approaches,
mental health support, and agile, holistic solutions that address
whole-of-child needs.
The climate crisis is an education crisis. The number of
children reached through First Emergency Responses resulting from
climate-induced hazards nearly doubled from 14% in 2022 to 27% in
2023.
"Education is a public good and a fundamental right. To achieve
our goals, global leaders must align policies, funding and
humanitarian principles. Multilateral aid funding must immediately
be increased to reverse the current downward trend, and
partnerships and collaboration must be strengthened across
humanitarian, development and peace efforts. Education Cannot Wait
has shown us that the seemingly 'impossible' is indeed possible –
provided that the funding is made available," said The Rt. Hon.
Gordon Brown.
Note to Editors
- Results Against All Odds: 2023 ECW Annual Results Report
- Executive Summary
- Social Media Kit
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SOURCE Education Cannot Wait