Education in Emergencies

Education is a lifeline for children in crises.

Details

READING TIME

3 min

AUTHOR

Aghsan

TOPIC

Education

Wars, epidemics and natural disasters spare no children. Iraq has gripped by conflicts than at any time. Many of these crises span entire childhoods.

In Iraq affected by emergencies, children lose their loved ones and homes. They lose access to safe drinking water, health care and food. They lose safety and routine. And, without access to education, they risk losing their futures.

An estimated 1.5 million children have been forcibly displaced. Nearly half of school-age IDPs children are out of school. Girls are more likely to be out of school in conflict-affected areas compared to girls.

A lifeline

For children in emergencies, education is about more than the right to learn.

Schools protect children from the physical dangers around them – including abuse, exploitation and recruitment into armed groups. They provide children with lifesaving food, water, health care and hygiene supplies. And they offer psychosocial support, giving children stability and structure to help them cope with the trauma they experience every day.

Parents and children affected by crisis consistently cite education as a top priority. When children are educated, entire communities benefit.

Still, despite the enormous benefits to children, societies and entire countries, education is often the first service suspended and the last to be restored during crisis. On average, the education sector receives less than 3 per cent of humanitarian aid.

Funding is not the only shortfall. In emergency settings, teaching and staff shortages prevent education systems from meeting children’s many needs. Data gaps hinder decision makers from assessing the situation and responding effectively. And coordination challenges inhibit humanitarian teams from acting as efficiently as needed.

What we do

Aghsan Foundation works to provide uninterrupted education for every child affected by humanitarian crisis – especially girls, children with disabilities, internally displaced children, refugees and migrants.

We help children develop skills to cope with the trauma of crisis, and supply them with learning spaces that are safe, child-friendly and equipped with water and sanitation facilities. Our work builds capacity by training teachers, supplying learning materials and supporting Governments to reduce the risk of disaster.

Through all we do, Aghsan Foundation strongly advocates for a child’s right to education and a protective learning environment, forging partnerships at the national and global levels to safeguard learning for every child. We also support Governments as they implement the Safe Schools Declaration and Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.