Statement by members of the
Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies
Humanitarian and development funding is under unprecedented strain, with donor cuts reshaping global aid and putting millions of vulnerable children, youth, and their families at risk. Essential services including education are being halted or pushed to the brink in fragile and crisis-affected contexts such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere.
A staggering 234 million children in crisis need urgent support to access quality education—35 million more than just three years ago—and over 85 million children are out of school.[i] With growing needs, the urgency to sustain existing, and mobilise greater financial resources, has never been more critical.
Education in emergencies was already chronically under-funded and the sector is now at crisis point. Funding shortfalls are directly impacting country-level operations, forcing the delay or suspension of critical education support for hundreds of thousands of children and youth affected by armed conflict, violence, disaster, and displacement.
In this critical time of shrinking aid budgets and escalating crises, the global community cannot afford delays or inaction.
Without schools and learning spaces in fragile and crisis contexts, children and youth lose safe spaces that provide not only learning but also food, health care, mental health and psychosocial support, water and sanitation, and protection. In times of crisis, the absence of education leaves children and youth vulnerable to violence, exploitation, and child labour, depriving them of their rights and safety. In the long term, a lack of education threatens incomes,[ii] weakens resilience to crises—including the climate crisis—and undermines prospects for peace.[iii]
Education is not a privilege—it is the foundation for lasting change and a fundamental right for children.
Without urgent action, an entire generation of crisis-affected children and youth faces losing access to education, opportunities for growth, and the hope for a brighter future.
We, members of the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies, remain committed to serve the world’s most vulnerable children and youth.
We call on governments, philanthropy and other donors to stand with us to:
- Sustain and increase humanitarian and development funding, and prioritise education for its critical capacity to facilitate other life-saving and life-sustaining interventions such as health, water and sanitation, food and protection, while also enabling resilience-building and self-reliance.
- Ensure safe, inclusive, and quality education for all crisis-affected children and youth —girls and boys, children with disabilities, refugees, and displaced children and youth must not be left behind.
- Support local communities and educators—frontline teachers and local organisations are key to delivering education in the most challenging contexts and must be adequately supported.
[i] Education Cannot Wait (2025). State of Education for Crisis-Affected Children and Adolescents: Access and Learning Outcomes – Global Estimates 2025 Update.
[ii] World Bank (2024). Choosing our future: Education for Climate Action.
[iii] Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (2025). Education as a Lifeline: Building Resilience and Peace for Children Affected by Armed Conflict.
