In the News

On December 12, at the Global Refugee Forum - Education Campus, the GRF Task Team on Teachers convened a conversation about the urgent need to prioritise teachers in education responses in refugee and crisis settings. Moderated by EI’s Sonia Grigt, the event featured contributions from Chris Henderson (Geneva Graduate Institute and NORRAG), Fatou Niang (UNESCO, International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030), Marianna Knirsch (German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), Heather Saunders (Global Partnership for Education), Itaf Alawawdeh (Save the Children Jordan), and Anfal Saqib (Education Cannot Wait).

As part of its regional response to the Sudan refugee crisis, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) announced today US$2 million in new grant funding in Egypt. The 12-month grant will be delivered by UNHCR, providing life-saving access to education for children fleeing the war in Sudan.

The Chadian government has welcomed refugees to its territory for decades, and with the support of UNHCR, the ministry of education has developed a strategy for the full inclusion of refugees into the local education system. To respond to the crisis, UNHCR and its partner Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) worked together with the Chadian Ministry of Education to provide an education-in-emergencies response for the Cameroonian refugees. This response would not have been possible without the generous support of the donors CERF and Education Cannot Wait.

The brutal war in Sudan must stop. Children are dying, girls and boys are being denied their human rights and their human dignity. We must act now as a global community to address this complex humanitarian crisis by ensuring children and adolescents have access to safe and protective learning environments, mental health and psychosocial services, and other holistic education opportunities. We are calling on world leaders to substantially increase funding for education in response to this devastating crisis," said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

Theirworld’s business initiative continued to mobilise companies to support education. In February, it made two major announcements on education in emergencies.

On behalf of the business community, it pledged an additional $50 million of support for the Education Cannot Wait fund. And it launched the Global Disaster Relief and Education Response Fund to provide businesses with on-the-ground information and ready-to-go partnerships to raise and distribute funds within 30 days of an emergency.

The role of holistic climate change education, including at tertiary level, to drive long-term climate solutions has been emphasised by academics and environmental experts during COP28, but, highlighted Yasmine Sherif, the director of Education Cannot Wait, the United Nations Global Fund for Education in emergencies and protracted crises, the education sector is also hard hit by climate change.

Når afgrøder udtørrer, kvæget dør af tørst eller alle ens ejendele skylles væk i en oversvømmelse, mister familier deres livsgrundlag. Forældre tvinges til at tage deres børn ud af skolen, hvis ellers skolen står der endnu. Konsekvenserne af klimaforandringerne rammer oftere og hårdere end nogensinde. For at sikre børns adgang til uddannelse trods de enorme udfordringer som klimaforandringerne skaber, bidrager Danmark nu med yderligere 45 millioner kroner til Education Cannot Wait, FN’s globale fond for uddannelse i humanitære kriser.

The person in charge recalls that this new crisis also adds to “intermittent or suspended” education for the children of Gaza, due to the covid-19 pandemic and repeated cycles of violence. “Despite everything, I have hope for the future of education in Gaza. There are plans, there are meetings with our partners,” he assures, citing, for example, the 10 million dollars of emergency aid granted these days by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN global fund for education in emergency situations and prolonged crises. “But much more funding is urgently needed to meet the enormous needs of the 1.1 million children and adolescents who are suffering the consequences of this war,” said Yasmine Sherif, executive director of ECW.

Climate Change and Education: An Intertwined Narrative

This research emphasizes the need to educate new generations not only in knowledge but also in skills and attitudes to confront climate change and envisage a positive future. The article also touches upon the COP28 climate talks’ heightened focus on education and the importance of addressing the uncertainty and displacement caused by climate change. It features interviews with key figures, including the head of the Education Cannot Wait fund and the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, emphasizing the connection between climate change and education.

La responsable recuerda que esta nueva crisis se suma además a una educación “intermitente o suspendida” para los niños de Gaza, debido a la pandemia de covid-19 y a los repetidos ciclos de violencia. “Pese a todo, tengo esperanza en el futuro de la educación en Gaza. Hay planes, hay reuniones con nuestros socios”, asegura, citando, por ejemplo, los 10 millones de dólares de ayuda de emergencia concedidos en estos días por La Educación No puede Esperar (Education Cannot Wait, ECW) el fondo mundial de la ONU para la educación en situaciones de urgencia y crisis prolongadas. “Pero se necesita mucha más financiación de forma urgente para satisfacer las enormes necesidades de los 1,1 millones de niños, niñas y adolescentes que están sufriendo las consecuencias de esta guerra”, en palabras de Yasmine Sherif, directora ejecutiva de ECW.

La responsable recuerda que esta nueva crisis se suma además a una educación “intermitente o suspendida” para los niños de Gaza, debido a la pandemia de covid-19 y a los repetidos ciclos de violencia. “Pese a todo, tengo esperanza en el futuro de la educación en Gaza. Hay planes, hay reuniones con nuestros socios”, asegura, citando, por ejemplo, los 10 millones de dólares de ayuda de emergencia concedidos en estos días por La Educación No puede Esperar (Education Cannot Wait, ECW) el fondo mundial de la ONU para la educación en situaciones de urgencia y crisis prolongadas. “Pero se necesita mucha más financiación de forma urgente para satisfacer las enormes necesidades de los 1,1 millones de niños, niñas y adolescentes que están sufriendo las consecuencias de esta guerra”, en palabras de Yasmine Sherif, directora ejecutiva de ECW.

Human Rights Day Statement by Education Cannot Wait Executive Director Yasmine SherifToday we mark a milestone in history: the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As people around the world commemorate Human Rights Day, we must also deeply reflect on the meaning of this historic document and what it takes to achieve peace in the world.

The inspiring preamble of the Universal Declaration is not the work of an indifferent or greedy mindset. It was crafted by those able to delve into their hearts and souls to authentically express the imperatives for peaceful co-existence in the world.