Sudan receives $22 million from UN to rebuild education – JURIST

On Monday, the UN’s global education fund, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), announced a $22 million initiative to help students in Sudan return to learning. ECW, a billion-dollar fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, administers the program. The fund is committed to ensuring displaced children are not left behind, providing them with holistic learning opportunities.

Deputy Country Director for Save the Children, Francesco Lanino, emphasizes the importance of this initiative. He stresses that in order to protect the future of children in Sudan, they must focus on access to safe, quality education.

Sudan’s civil war began in 2023 and has caused an immense amount of suffering to its people and their futures. ECW states that “some 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes, while 33.7 million people now require humanitarian assistance. At least 8 million children—nearly half of Sudan’s 17 million school-age children—remain out of school. Across the country, large numbers of schools remain non-operational, while millions of children have endured prolonged disruptions to their education, with some missing nearly 500 days of learning.” This data alone underscores the consequences of ongoing conflict inside the country.

Nonetheless, communities in Sudan have prevailed in times of crisis. The three-year program is intended to reach internally displaced children, refugees, and vulnerable host communities. Save the Children, Plan International, Lakarmissionen International (LM International), and local partners Alsalam Organisation for Relief and Development (AORD) and Sadagaat will implement the program.

The people of Sudan continue to face challenges as they work to rebuild communities, restore education, and strive for peace. With funding from ECW, the initiative aims to help 200,000 Sudanese children continue their education, and provides communities with greater opportunities to rebuild their futures.