Fund Education in Emergencies Now

The Send My Friend to School Coalition is calling on the UK Government to support the learning of our 222 million friends in crisis by pledging £170 million to Education Cannot Wait over the next four years.

A child’s right to education does not end in times of emergencies. That is why today the Send My Friend to School coalition – together with members of the Youth4EiE Global Panel – is calling on the UK Government to pledge £170 million to Education Cannot Wait over its four year strategic period 2023-2026.

Our campaign calls on the UK Government to support the learning of our 222 million friends in crisis before it is too late. It draws on new research that shows 222 million school-aged children are affected by crises, conflict and climate change globally and require urgent education support. This represents a 196 percent increase from 2016.

With a pledge of £170 million over four years, the UK Government would directly support ECW to provide:

  • 1.6 million children and adolescents with access to education following an emergency or the escalation of a crisis (First Emergency Response) (60% girls)
  • 1 million children and adolescents with a holistic package of education for three years (Multi-Year Resilience Programme) (60% girls)

The UK Government has been central to the success of ECW since its inception. Ahead of ECW’s High-Level Financing Conference in February 2023, SMF are calling on the UK to fund education in emergencies to help ensure ECW meets its  new funding target of at least $1.5 billion to cover its four year strategic period 2023-2026.  

If the $1.5 billion were achieved, the UK’s £170 million contribution would support ECW to catalyse the following major outcomes by 2026: 

  • Support 20 million children and adolescents with quality education  
  • Support 12 million girls with quality education  
  • Support 2 million children and adolescents with disabilities with quality education  
  • Get 12 million children and adolescents back into school following a new emergency or the escalation of a crisis 
  • Provide three years of holistic education support to 8 million children and adolescents in protracted crises 

It will also set a level of ambition that other donors should match or exceed, accounts for the UK’s historic leadership, and would allow the UK Government to make headway in its manifesto commitments towards its global targets on girls’ education. 

The time for bold action is now. The UK must lead the effort to support and fund the learning of our 222 million friends in crisis before it is too late.  

Read our new briefing: Fund Education in Emergencies now: Our 222 million friends in crisis need education