With rebel group activity triggering a rise in violence and
internal displacement, the fast-acting 12-month grant delivered by
UNICEF will provide crisis-impacted children with the safety and
opportunity of a quality education
NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With a rise in
conflicts caused by rebel groups in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,
millions of people have been displaced since the beginning of the
year, and children face dangerous risks of attacks, child marriage,
recruitment into armed groups and other grave violations of their
rights.
In response to these challenges, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and
its strategic donor partners announced today a US$2.1 Million First Emergency Response grant
that will reach approximately 19,000 students in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The
fast-acting ECW grant will be delivered by UNICEF along
with local partners and builds on ECW's US$33 million in funding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has
already reached close to 120,000 children and adolescents.
The current wave of violence has reached a fever pitch,
increasing humanitarian needs across a region that has dealt with
chronic conflicts and insecurity for over two decades. Recent
analysis from the Education Cluster indicates that approximately
680,000 children require urgent support, with a total education
funding appeal of US$39 million.
"As we head into the Summit of the Future and the UN General
Assembly, we must highlight forgotten crises in places like the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
World leaders must urgently step-up funding to provide these
children with the life-saving opportunity that only a quality
education can provide. Girls are being raped and forced into
marriage, boys are being recruited into armed groups, schools are
under attack. These grave violations and unbearable injustice and
human suffering are absolutely unacceptable. These are innocent
children who have lost all and continue to be denied their right to
quality education. Together, we must urgently mobilize additional
resources to address this forgotten crisis and make good on the
commitments outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development," said Yasmine Sherif,
Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for
education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United
Nations.
In the North and South Kivu Province, over 413,000 school-aged
children, and an estimated 60,000 children with disabilities, are
affected by the compounding impacts of armed conflict, forced
displacement and climate shocks. Many are on the move and living in
internal displacement sites with limited hygiene facilities.
The conflict is severely impacting the education system. There
are incidents of armed attacks against schools and over 800 schools
are closed or damaged by conflict and climate shocks. Across the
country, nearly 7 million children are out of school, and half of
girls aged 5 to 17 do not go to school at all, according
to UNICEF.
"This ECW grant will allow children, both girls and boys, to
return to school, make up for learning losses and benefit from
quality education in a safe, protective and inclusive environment,
in the midst of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in east
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
which has been devastating for education," said Grant Leaity,
UNICEF Representative in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
The 12-month investment seeks to improve equitable access to
education for children and adolescents, strengthen the
safeguarding, protection and well-being of children, enhance
vocational training for adolescents, improve quality of learning
outcomes, and strengthen coordination among partners.
Since its inception in 2016, Education Cannot Wait has already
mobilized more than US$1.6 billion
toward the ECW trust fund. To reach the goals outlined in the
Fund's three-year strategic plan, ECW and global strategic
partners are calling for an additional US$600 million in urgent support. With these new
resources, ECW can expand its investments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and across
crisis-impacted countries worldwide to reach 20 million girls and
boys with the safety, empowerment and opportunity that only a
quality education can provide.
Photo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2474073/Education_Cannot_Wait_Grant_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo.jpg
Logo -
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1656121/4841186/Education_Cannot_Wait_Logo.jpg
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/education-cannot-wait-announces-us2-1-million-first-emergency-response-grant-in-eastern-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-total-ecw-funding-now-tops-us35-million-302212750.html