#USA #New York #Education Cannot Wait #humanitarian crisis #Quality Education

Education Cannot Wait: A Lifeline for Education in Crisis

On this year’s World Humanitarian Day, the world watches as Education Cannot Wait (ECW) fervently calls for increased global solidarity. The goal is to empower local communities to provide life-building, life-sustaining, and high-quality education for everyone in crisis. Initiatives from ECW are crucial in ensuring that children affected by some of the most devastating humanitarian crises can access an education that helps shape their futures positively.

From 2020 to 2023, attacks on education and educational personnel occurred with alarming frequency, resulting in over 11,000 registered incidents. Such violence has disrupted the lives of more than 19,000 students and teachers. Regions such as Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Lebanon, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been identified as some of the most dangerous contexts for humanitarian workers, according to various reports. In these areas, ECW’s investments are paramount for children whose villages have been destroyed and whose hopes have been dashed due to conflict, displacement, climate change, and other emergencies.

Within these harsh realities, providing quality education serves as a lifeline. It not only promotes survival but also restores dignity and fosters transformational change for affected children. ECW and its strategic partners tirelessly work to keep hope alive for these children by developing innovative visions that ensure holistic educational support reaches the world’s most vulnerable children in the most challenging environments.

A key step towards fulfilling the promise of education for all, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Grand Bargain Agreements, is local action. It is imperative that resources, tools, technologies, strategies, and platforms are made available to teachers, development workers, and communities. These resources are essential to create safe and protective learning environments, enhance the quality of basic learning, and establish sustainable, 21st-century educational systems.

The examples of success driven by ECW initiatives give us hope and illustrate the potential for positive change. In the Gaza Strip, ECW funds the Norwegian Refugee Council’s “Better Learning” program, which provides temporary learning spaces for girls like Masa. These spaces offer the psychological and psychosocial support they need to thrive amid brutal conflicts. In South Sudan, organizations such as Light of the World, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Finn Church Aid are training teachers in inclusive education, ensuring that children with disabilities can access quality learning opportunities.

In Bangladesh, initiatives supported by ECW through partnerships with the International Rescue Committee, Plan International, Save the Children, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF, and local organizations have allowed girls like Sofaida to acquire vital life skills while learning to read and write.

Investing in education today is tantamount to cultivating a peaceful future—a future free of war, insecurity, and impunity. It represents an investment in local action and self-determination. Ultimately, it involves investing in the students, teachers, and communities that will guide us toward a more peaceful and prosperous world.

Images and Logos: Link to ECW teaching image



By leveraging the call for increased solidarity, ECW is setting the stage for transformative change that addresses the education crisis triggered by humanitarian emergencies. Through collective efforts, we can ensure that educational opportunities become a reality for the myriad of children caught in these devastating conflicts.