The European Commission has adopted a new policy framework which will increase funding for education during crises and emergencies to 10% of the EU’s humanitarian budget from 2019.
The increase in funding for education during crises and emergencies will support the EU’s goal of ensuring that all children whose education is disrupted by humanitarian incidents are returned to learning within three months.
The allocation of the additional funding will be informed by four key priority areas, which will ensure a comprehensive response to children’s education in the event of a humanitarian crisis. These priorities are:
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– Improving the access of children and young people to learning opportunities;
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– Ensuring the high quality of education and training;
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– Protecting education attacks; and
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– Developing innovative education responses in times of crisis.
In this way, the EU will support its aim to provide education for millions of children worldwide, whose access is disrupted by conflict, climate change, forced displacement and natural disasters.
The commission’s aim of increasing funding for education during crises and emergencies to 10% of the bloc’s total humanitarian budget would make the EU’s commitments significantly higher than the EU average; in fact, the global average of humanitarian aid allocated towards education is less than 3%.
Why is this a commission priority?
The European Commission has repeated its commitment to global education in recent weeks, including by supporting initiatives to improve access to education for women and girls in the developing world as part of its European Development Days event.
European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Christos Stylianides, welcomed the new communication on education in emergencies and crises, emphasising the scale of the problem and the responsibility that EU leaders feel to address it.
He explained: “With humanitarian crises growing across the world, millions of children are at risk of growing up without education… Our new policy will allow us to help children better and quicker than before, even in the most difficult situations. To do so, we will strengthen cooperation with other donors and partners and better link our short and long term assistance.”
