The No Lost Generation initiative (a number of aid agencies) have on requested for 1.4 billion dollars to educate around 4 million Syrian children and young people.
The No Lost Generation initiative includes the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, UNICEF, UNRWA and UNHCR.
A statement from aid groups and UN agencies making up the “No Lost Generation initiative, said they observed that nearly five years into the crisis, around 4 million Syrian and host community children and youth aged 5 – 17 years are in need of education assistance".
The statement added that the numbers include 2.1 million out-of-school Syrian children inside Syria and 0.7 million in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
The request was coming in Beirut ahead of a conference due to be held in London.
Dr Peter Salama, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa for UNICEF, the agency coordinating the initiative, said the conference, due to be held on Thursday, and would be attended by heads of state and ministers from countries around the world.
He said the meeting was aimed at raising new funding to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of those affected by the Syrian crisis.
Salama said the conference would be co-hosted by Britain, Germany, Kuwait, Norway and the UN.
“The scale of the crisis for children is growing all the time, which is why there are now such fears that Syria is losing a whole generation of its youth.
“What we must see in London is the step-change necessary to bring all children back to learning; to protect those who are at risk of dropping out and expand safe and inclusive learning environments," he said.
He said the combined efforts last year of governments and international partners helped more than 1 million children and young people inside Syria benefit from formal or non-formal learning opportunities.
Salama said the agencies urged those attending the London conference to help end attacks on schools and other places of learning, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.
“In Syria, the killing, abduction and arrest of students and teachers and arbitrary attacks on schools have become commonplace.
“About one in four schools cannot be used because they have been damaged, destroyed or are being used as shelters for the internally displaced or for military purposes," he said. (dpa/NAN)
