In the current context of persistent conflict, climate disasters and mass displacement in Ethiopia, the importance of education for children in crisis cannot be underestimated. With nearly 9 million children out of school in the country, a dramatic three-fold increase since 2022, decisive action is imperative to ensure access to quality education for all.
In a joint high-level mission to Ethiopia, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Global Champion and Danish Minister of Finance Nicolai Wammen and ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif called for bold donor action to put in place innovative financing solutions to ensure millions of children in crisis in Ethiopia and beyond can access quality education.
The ECW delegation visited the Tigray region, which is in the midst of rebuilding after a three-year conflict that devastated education. They saw first-hand the impact of programs supported by ECW and its strategic partners, including UNICEF, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children and Imagine1Day, working closely with the Ethiopian government.
ECW’s investments are proving to be highly successful, with a 20% increase in school enrollment last year thanks to a package of ECW-funded interventions. ECW’s new $5 million emergency response grant aims to address urgent needs in the Oromia and Afar regions, which are affected by renewed conflict, inter-communal violence, drought and displacement, adding to the $24 million multi-year resilience program announced last month.
To date, ECW’s combined investments in Ethiopia have benefited over 550,000 children and adolescents, providing a comprehensive range of support from school rehabilitation, teacher training, mental health and psychosocial support, inclusive education, school feeding and many other initiatives.
Faced with a funding gap of $64 million to meet the acute education needs of the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, ECW is urgently calling for additional resources to ensure a brighter future for these vulnerable children in Ethiopia. Increased donor engagement and innovative solutions are essential to ensure equitable access to education in such a complex and challenging context.