Participants in the event organised at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday 6 December to celebrate the success of the awareness raising campaign launched by the EU and UNESCO seven months ago, on children's education in emergency situations said that this education, more than aid, is a fundamental right. It is a protective shield and is as vital as food and medicines, the participants stated.
The social network campaign, known as #EmergencyLessons, has reached over 70 million people on Twitter alone by targeting European young people in seven countries (Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia and the UK) to become involved.
"When conflict or other crises strike, children need more than food, shelter and medicine. Education can be just as much of a life-saver, providing children with a safe, protective space and helping ensure they learn the skills they need to build a better future for themselves and their communities", said European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides. He also stated that education could be a bulwark "against extreme and dangerous ideologies".
Under the partnership between the European Commission's service for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), nearly 2 million children in 20 countries that are in conflict or are fragile have been able to benefit from access to education over the last four years.
UNICEF's deputy executive director, Justin Forsyth, thanked the EU for the commitment it has taken to increase its humanitarian budget for children's education in emergency situations to bring it to 6% in 2017 (see EUROPE 11679).
Of the 462 million school-age children in countries in crisis, 75 million need support for education. However, this is one of the least funded sectors in UN humanitarian calls (less than 2% of the current global humanitarian budget). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)