Education in emergencies
Education is a lifeline for children in crises.
Education is a lifeline for children in crises.
Conflicts, natural disasters, climate change impacts and public health emergencies spare no children. More children than ever are affected by crises, not learning, and not in school. More countries are gripped by conflict today than at any time in the past thirty years. Many of these crises span entire childhoods and early years of adolescents.
In countries affected by emergencies, children may lose their loved ones and homes, and their childhoods are at risk of being marked by trauma. They lose access to safe drinking water, health care and food. They lose safety and a sense of normalcy. And, without access to quality education, they risk losing their futures.
Globally, the number of school-aged children in crises who require urgent support to access quality education is rapidly rising – increasing by an estimated 35 million over the past three years, reaching 234 million by the end of 2024. Similarly, climate-related hazards interrupted schooling for at least 242 million children in 2024 alone.
Over 50 million children have been forcibly displaced around the world, mostly after fleeing from armed conflict. Nearly half of all school-age refugee children are out of school.
Meanwhile, girls are nearly 2.5 times more likely to be out of school in conflict-affected countries compared to girls in other places.
A lifeline
For children in emergencies, education is about more than the right to learn – it is lifesaving and lifechanging.
Schools and learning spaces protect children from the physical dangers around them – including abuse, exploitation and recruitment into armed groups. They provide children with life-saving food, water, health care and hygiene supplies. And they offer mental health and psychosocial support, giving children stability and structure to help them cope with the trauma they experience every day.
Parents and children affected by crisis consistently share that education is a top priority. When children are educated, entire communities benefit in the long term.
Education fuels economic growth, reduces poverty, and strengthens social cohesion. It enhances children and adolescents’ ability to lead healthy lives, participate in society, and build peaceful futures. It is also a critical tool in breaking cycles of crisis and building long-term resilience.
Still, despite the enormous benefits to children, societies, entire countries and the world, education is often the first service suspended and the last to be restored during crises. On average, the education sector receives less than 3 per cent of humanitarian aid.
Funding is not the only shortfall. In emergency settings, teaching and staff shortages prevent education systems from meeting children’s many needs. Data gaps hinder decision makers from assessing the situation and responding effectively. And coordination challenges inhibit humanitarian teams from acting as efficiently as needed.
UNICEF’s work to deliver education in emergencies
UNICEF works to provide uninterrupted education for every child affected by crisis – especially girls, children with disabilities, internally displaced children, refugees and migrants. With presence in nearly every crisis-affected country, UNICEF delivers rapid, coordinated education response at scale while integrating child protection and resilience.
We help children develop skills to cope with the trauma of crisis, and supply them with learning spaces that are safe, child-friendly and equipped with water and sanitation facilities, nutrition and help as well as protection services. We work to strengthen education systems by training teachers, supplying learning materials and supporting governments to integrate education emergency responses into national education plans and strategies - building capacity to anticipate, mitigate, recover and respond to emergencies, as well as be more resilient in the face of future crises.
Through all we do, UNICEF strongly advocates for a child’s right to education and a protective learning environment, forging partnerships at the national and global levels to safeguard learning for every child. We also support governments as they implement the Safe Schools Declaration and Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict.
Protecting education means protecting lives – and securing children’s futures.
More from UNICEF
Resources
Education in Emergencies Global Course
This self-paced course aims to impart foundational knowledge and skills relating to education in emergencies and is designed for UNICEF education staff, education stakeholders and implementing partners.
Cash and voucher assistance targeting for education outcomes - How to select beneficiaries to advance equity and maximize results
This guidance note discusses how to select beneficiaries to advance equity and maximize results, especially regarding the retention of girls in education.
Risk-Informed Education Programming for Resilience: Guidance Note
This guidance note aims to help UNICEF education staff working in humanitarian, transition and development contexts analyze risk and adapt policies and programmes so that education systems are more resilient and all children are in school and learning.
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack
The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack produces “Education Under Attack” studies, detailing attacks on schools, universities and their students and staff.
Education Cannot Wait
Explore resources from the first global fund dedicated to education in emergencies and protracted crises.
Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector
This site provides research, evidence and guidance on risk-reduction education and comprehensive school safety.