UN Body Announces $17.7m Grant To Support Displaced Children In Sudan

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations (UN) global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, has announced US$17.7 million grant to support access to quality life-sustaining education programmes for displaced, conflict-affected and vulnerable children and adolescents in Sudan.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, an estimated 4.3 million children were out of school in Sudan, with another 9.6 million experiencing prolonged absences during 2020. Schools are overcrowded and ill-equipped, teachers are underpaid and undertrained, and few children and adolescents are able to access remote learning opportunities.

Sadly, girls are the most vulnerable. Only one out of four girls go on to secondary school in Sudan, compared to one out of three for boys. Approximately 7 million people face crisis levels of food insecurity across the country, and access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in schools is extremely limited.

The catalytic grant, which is the first ever Multi-Year Resilience Programme in Sudan, will be delivered in partnership with Save the Children and UNICEF. The grant seeks to catalyze an additional US$60 million in funding for the multi-year programme while, at the same time, calling international attention to the pressing humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

The initial seed-funding investment will support at least 100,000 displaced and vulnerable children and adolescents in the country. To reach the most vulnerable and marginalized, 60 percent of beneficiaries are girls and 10 percent are children with disabilities.

In addition, the programme addresses the most pressing chronic and emergent, humanitarian and development educational needs in the country. The overall goal of the programme is to sustainably improve learning outcomes, availability of opportunities, and overall well-being for crisis-affected children and adolescents in Sudan by introducing a whole-of-child approach to education.

With ECW’s support, in-country partners intend to reach 10,000 children through pre-primary education, 68,500 children through primary education, and 22,150 children through secondary education.

Approximately 85 percent of the target beneficiaries will be supported through formal education, while 15 percent are children and adolescents living in camps or settlements and will be supported through non-formal education.

Meanwhile, the investment will initially focus on South Kordofan and West Darfur, where recurring conflicts and violence have caused a sharp increase in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance.

The investment will be implemented by a Save the Children-led consortium (US$14.7 million grant), which includes the Norwegian Refugee Council, International Aid Services and Global Aid Hand as well as and UNICEF (US$3 million grant).

Director of ECW, Yasmine Sherif said conflict, COVID-19, climate change and a deepening economic crisis are derailing efforts to build peace, unity and sustainable development in Sudan, adding that without an education, girls and boys face increased risk of child marriage, early pregnancy, exploitation, abuse, recruitment into armed groups and child labor.

“Our investment in education is an investment in the future of Sudan. It’s an investment in ending poverty and hunger. It’s an investment in peace”, she said.

Similarly, Save the Children Sudan Country Director, Arshad Malik noted that for the past several years, education has been severely disrupted for millions of children in Sudan, with conflict-affected children, girls, and children living with a disability most impacted.

“Save the Children, along with its consortium partners, is delighted to partake in the Education Cannot Wait Multi-Year Resilience Programme to deliver lifesaving and life-sustaining education opportunities for the most vulnerable children in Sudan. Our holistic approach to education ensures children have access to quality education in a supportive, protective, and well-resourced learning environment with excellent teachers, whose professional development is supported”, he added.

This programme, according to him, will allow the most marginalized and vulnerable children in Sudan to return to school, remain in school, and to build a future.

UNICEF Sudan Representative, Mandeep O’Brien said the children of Sudan need education support now more than ever, adding that the programme will provide inclusive, quality and protective learning environments to vulnerable girls and boys living in very difficult circumstances.

“It safeguards their right to develop and thrive. With this investment, we have a chance to ensure that no child in Sudan is left behind, no matter their circumstances and where they come from because education can’t wait”, he stressed.