NEW YORK, Dec 20 (IPS) – As 2024 approaches, I dare say that this has been a particularly terrible year for millions of young children, their parents and teachers. The world has witnessed one terrible crisis after another of brutality, dispossession and human suffering.
Ukraine faced its worst winter ever, experiencing a brutal war that destroyed 65% of its energy supply. As the West Bank comes under increasing attack, Gaza remains under bombing and one million Palestinians are left out in the cold and lacking shelter. Tom Fletcher, OCHA Deputy Secretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said: “Gaza is apocalyptic right now. .”
Meanwhile, horrific internal armed conflict continues in Sudan, leaving more than 11 million internally displaced people and more than 3 million refugees in neighboring countries. Each carries the burden of severe human suffering. From Rohingya refugees in Lebanon, Yemen and Bangladesh to the Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa, millions of children have little hope left for their future.
In Afghanistan, girls above grade 6 are shackled at home and unable to continue their studies. Millions of children are forced to live with the lifelong consequences of rape and brutal sexual violence, sometimes simply as babies, surviving armed conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeastern Nigeria and elsewhere. Children in the Sahel region are forced to leave their burned villages with only the last piece of cloth on their fragile bodies. In Latin America, Venezuelan refugee children continue to live in exile, facing risks everywhere from human trafficking and gangs to loss of educational opportunities and futures.
These are real-life examples from the 44 countries and contexts where ECW invests financial resources to ensure holistic quality education, safe learning environments and school meals.
The question is, are we all doing enough?
As many of you know, Education Cannot Wait is a global platform of the United Nations system hosted by UNICEF. It is made up of a High-Level Steering Group, Executive Committee, Secretariat, strategic public and private donor partners, the Minister of Education, and many brilliant and hard-working UN and civil society partners and communities.
ECW is able to deliver at a rapid pace because it is a catalyst that brings together partners who operate with the same level of commitment, energy and determination. We are also able to provide depth and quality services because we share the same child-centred approach and vision for learning outcomes.
In this very bleak year, Education Cannot Wat accomplished its mission, investing more than $228 million, including $44 million in initial emergency response, $176 million in multi-year resiliency programs, and $8 million in acceleration. . Facility grants – the latter to test innovative approaches.
The funding gap has further narrowed, with financial resources for the 2023-2026 strategic plan reaching approximately $1 billion. However, more resources are urgently needed to meet real needs and reach at least 20 million children (primary, primary and secondary) and teachers by the end of this strategy period.
An additional investment of $570 million could completely close this gap. it’s possible. With annual military spending reaching US$2.4 trillion globally, investing at least US$570 million in Education Cannot Wait to support life-saving and life-sustaining education for children living through man-made and climate crises. There’s no reason you can’t do it. ; It also invests significant financial resources in sister funds such as the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd).
As ongoing analysis and research at Education Cannot Wait shows, the number of children and young people out of or deprived of education in emergencies and long-term crises is approaching the 2.5 billion mark. We can prevent this.
We are all trying to do something, but much more can and should be done. it’s possible.
This brings us to the founder and outgoing Senior Steering Group Chair of Education Cannot Wait, The Rt. soul. Gordon Brown, United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education. He had a vision that led to the creation of Education Cannot Wait. He led the establishment at the World Humanitarian Summit with strategic partners from governments, the United Nations and civil society.
In just a few years, this vision has resulted in more than 11 million children, youth and teachers benefiting from quality education in some of the harshest situations around the world.
Viktor Frankl’s immortal quote: “The world is in a bad state. But if each of us does not do our best, everything will get worse.”
Rt. soul. Gordon Brown did his best to make an incredible difference, transforming the lives of millions of people and the generations to come.
May his legacy be an inspiration to us all.
On behalf of the entire Education Cannot Wait family, we wish you happy holidays. I hope 2025 will be a brighter year.
Yasmin Sherif I’m the Executive Director of Education who can’t wait.
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© Interpress Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Interpress Service
