The Education Cannot Wait (ECW) “Hope Starts Here” High-Level Replenishment Conference, co-hosted by Switzerland on 5 November, closed with US$541.6 million in pledges for 2027–2030 – offering a moment of hope for the hundreds of millions of children living in crisis-situations whose access to education is increasingly under threat by growing pressures on international aid. This included US$405.8 million in new pledges on the day and US$135.8 million in financial resources already secured through previous multi-year donor commitments. The Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (EiE Hub) is proud to have worked closely with ECW since its foundation, and to have supported the fund in the build-up to the Conference.
“Shrinking resources shouldn’t mean a reduction in children’s rights,” said Sigrid Kaag, Chair of the ECW High-Level Steering Group, as she opened the conference in Geneva. “Governments may change, budgets may shrink, political landscapes may shift, but a child’s right does not fluctuate with economic cycles or political changes.”
An estimated 258 million school-aged children and adolescents worldwide have their education affected by crises. Of these, 93 million are entirely out of school, while millions more are enrolled but struggle to learn under extremely challenging conditions that hinder their progress and put them at increased risk of dropping out.
Established by the United Nations in 2016, ECW is the global fund for education in crises and aims to reach 10 million children over the next between 2027-2030, including by building or rehabilitating thousands of schools and training more than 150,000 teachers.
“Education gives a child a bridge from the horrors of today to the promise of tomorrow,” said Maysa Jalbout, Director of ECW. “It gives a child a trusted adult, a place to belong and something to look forward to. ECW was founded on the clear promise that no child caught in crisis should be left behind. Today we mark ten years of turning that promise into action.”
Major financial pledges and commitments were made in Geneva by Canada, the European Union, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom , as well as from philanthropic and private actors. Discussions also explored the potential of innovative finance mechanisms to mobilise additional resources for education in emergencies, while recognising that grants will remain central to ECW, given the nature of complex crises.
Stories from the frontline of the education crisis
The Conference was a reminder of the immense, compounding challenges those working to deliver education for children in crisis-situations face on a daily basis, and the urgent need to keep education firmly on the humanitarian agenda, with predictable funding and support for national and local responses.
Speaking of her experience of teaching in a refugee school with just 15 teachers responsible for over 2,000 children, South Sudanese teacher Stella Aloyo Oryang spoke of how funding shortages have led to all teachers’ contracts ending on 30 September 2026. Despite this, the teachers continue to go into school each day to support children whose only remaining safe space is a classroom.
“With the cuts to funding globally and climate change, life is never the same, especially for refugees whose lives depend on international donations. Palabek Refugee Settlement is home to more than 23,000 school-aged going children and all we have left now is hope.”
Other speakers highlighted how global funding cuts are forcing teachers to choose between feeding their families and teaching their students, while UNICEF shared that less than 1% of funding for country-based pooled funds had gone to education in 2026, despite education regularly being cited as a number one priority by children and their families.
Ministers of Education from countries including South Sudan, Somalia, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Palestine highlighted the pressures facing their education systems in an era of “hyper-prioritisation” and the need to ensure international funding reaches those organisations closest to crisis-affected children. Closing the conference, Maysa Jalbout, Director of ECW, reaffirmed that at least 50% of financing would be channelled to local and national partners by 2030.
Geneva: a global hub for education in emergencies
Co-hosted in Geneva by the Swiss Government, the conference was a reminder of the important role the city has come to play for those working in education in emergencies. Ambassador Thomas Gürber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva spoke of the city as “the natural home for these discussions”.
“Its rich ecosystem connects humanitarian actors, governments, civil society, researchers, donors and the private sector…connecting political pledges to operational action,” he said. “Education in emergencies is an integral part of this landscape.”
ECW was one of the founding members of the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (EiE Hub), which connects those working in the education sector with Geneva’s wider international community. Its 68 members recently called on governments, philanthropic actors, and other funders to fully resource ECW.
As EiE Hub Executive Director, Petra Heusser wrote in an opinion piece for Geneva Solutions ahead of the 5 November conference: “Hope for children affected by crisis starts with education – and education starts with funding and political commitment, including through ECW. At a time when the humanitarian system is being reshaped by scarcity, we must not lose sight of the fact that education is one of the smartest investments we can make.”