THE CHALLENGE

75 million school-aged children and youth are in desperate need of educational support, either in danger of, or already missing out on their education. Communities highlight the importance of education during times of crises, yet education appeals receive less than 2% of humanitarian funding. The right to education is most at risk during emergencies but it is also the exact time when it is needed the most.

Learn more about the situation

OUR RESPONSE

Education Cannot Wait is a new global fund to transform the delivery of education in emergencies - one that joins up governments, humanitarian actors and development efforts to deliver a more collaborative and rapid response to the educational needs of children and youth affected by crises. The fund aims to reach all crisis-affected children and youth with safe, free and quality education by 2030.

THE FUND

Education Cannot Wait is the first global fund to prioritise education in humanitarian action. It will play a groundbreaking role in ushering in a more collaborative approach to ensure every crisis-affected child and young person is in school and learning. By bringing together public and private partners, Education Cannot Wait will leverage additional finance and catalyse new approaches to funding and innovation to deliver education in emergencies and protracted crises.

The fund seeks to generate greater shared political, operational and financial commitment to fulfill the educational needs of 75 million children and young people worst affected by crisis and conflict. The fund will bridge the humanitarian–development divide to build more sustainable education systems.

The five core functions:

1. Inspire political commitment so that education is viewed by both governments and funders as a top priority during crises.
2. Plan and respond collaboratively, with a particular emphasis on enabling humanitarian and development actors to work together on shared objectives.
3. Generate and disburse additional funding to close the $8.5 billion funding gap needed to reach 75 million children and youth.
4. Strengthen capacity to respond to crises, nationally and globally, including the ability to coordinate emergency support.
5. Improve accountability by developing and sharing knowledge, including collection of more robust data in order to make better-informed investment decisions, and knowledge of what works and does not.

How the fund works