Education of millions of children living in conflict zones have come under threat by inadequate funding, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) stated yesterday ahead of G20 summit coming up in Hamburg, Germany. Of the $932 million needed this year for its education programmes in emergency countries, UNICEF stated that it has so far received less than $115 million.
“The funds are necessary to give 9.2 million children affected by humanitarian crises access to formal and non-formal basic education. UNICEF has received only 12 per cent of the funds it needs this year to send children affected by emergencies to school,” a statement said.
UNICEF’s latest Goodwill Ambassador, Muzoon Almellehan said, without education, children grow up without the knowledge and skills they needed to contribute to peace and development of their countries.
“For the millions of children growing up in war zones, the threats are even more daunting: Not going to school leaves children vulnerable to early marriage, child labour and recruitment by armed forces,” he said.
He said funding gaps for UNICEF education programmes in some of the world’s hot spots vary from 36 per cent in Iraq, to 64 per cent in Syria, 74 per cent in Yemen and 78 per cent in the Central African Republic.
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