The number of school-aged children in crises requiring urgent educational support has risen sharply, according to a new report from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN’s global fund for education in emergencies. The Global Estimates Report highlights that by the end of 2024, 234 million children worldwide will lack access to quality education—an increase of 35 million in just three years.
Conflict, extreme weather, and climate-related disasters are the main drivers of this alarming trend. Refugees, internally displaced children, girls, and those with disabilities face the greatest challenges, the report reveals.
ECW’s Executive Director, Yasmine Sherif, issued an urgent appeal: “Nearly a quarter of a billion girls and boys in crises are being denied their basic right to education. Increased funding from both public and private donors is crucial to give them the opportunity to thrive and contribute to society. This is the most transformative investment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Education Aid Stagnates Amid Growing Need
While the demand for educational support in crises has surged, funding has stagnated. The share of global Official Development Assistance allocated to education has declined, with the UN reporting an annual financing gap of $100 billion for achieving education targets in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
The ECW report notes that conflicts have doubled in the past five years, with 50 countries experiencing severe conflict levels in 2024. This has left 85 million crisis-affected children completely out of school, with Sudan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Pakistan accounting for nearly half of these cases.
Girls are disproportionately affected, comprising 52% of out-of-school children. Refugees and internally displaced children represent 17% of those not in education, while over 20% have disabilities.
Severe Educational Gaps Persist
The situation for children in school is also dire. Only 17% of crisis-affected primary school children achieve minimum reading proficiency, and access to secondary education remains limited. Approximately 36% of lower-secondary and 47% of upper-secondary school-aged children in crises are out of school.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest-hit region, home to half of the world’s crisis-affected school-aged children. Compounding this, climate-related disasters are worsening, with extreme weather events like flooding in the Sahel and East Africa and severe droughts in Africa and the Americas displacing millions and worsening food insecurity.
Call for Urgent Action
To address these challenges, ECW and its partners are seeking $600 million in additional funding to implement their four-year strategic plan. The fund aims to provide education for 20 million crisis-affected children by 2026.
Sherif emphasised the broader impact of education: “Unlocking the potential of these children is key to creating changemakers and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.”
As crises become more frequent and interconnected, ECW is urging global donors to act swiftly to prevent a generation of children from being left behind.