New York: Armed conflicts and climate change are significantly impacting children’s education worldwide, creating challenging conditions for many, especially women and children, who are often displaced from their homes. Countries like the occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan, Libya, Syria, and Yemen have seen large numbers of people seeking refuge due to ongoing conflicts and crises.
According to Qatar News Agency, climate events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and wildfires in various countries, including Syria, Turkiye, Morocco, the United States, and France, have exacerbated the situation. Children are particularly affected, losing access to education and facing deteriorating living conditions. The international community is urged to unite in support of these children, providing protection and ensuring their right to education.
The State of Qatar has been proactive in addressing these challenges, especially focusing on children in conflict zones. Qatar has offered substantial support to Palestinian children and others affected by wars, emphasizing a safe and stable environment for their education. A significant initiative, the Peace Schools initiative by the Education Above All Foundation, was launched five years ago. It aims to support students fleeing conflicts from countries like Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine, providing educational opportunities for Arabic and non-Arabic speakers residing in Qatar.
The initiative has benefited students from approximately 13 nationalities, offering assessments to place them in appropriate classes and reviewing cases for those unable to afford tuition. Qatar’s Education Above All Foundation, through its ‘Educate a Child’ program, collaborates with 82 global partners in 50 countries, achieving its goal of educating over 10 million marginalized children.
According to the UN Education Cannot Wait Fund, 35 million children urgently needed educational assistance in the past three years, with numbers expected to reach 234 million by the end of 2024. The escalation of conflicts and climate change has increased the demand for educational support, with an estimated USD 100 billion needed annually to achieve educational goals in low-income countries. An appeal for USD 600 million in additional funding has been launched to meet strategic education goals.
The UN report reveals that 473 million children live in conflict zones, marking the highest number since World War II. The proportion of children in these areas has risen from 10 percent in the 1990s to nearly 19 percent today. Child education experts note that governments in developing countries struggle to fund essential investments due to slow growth, high debt, and inadequate tax revenues and development aid.
Geopolitical tensions and challenges in multilateral institutions have led to increased violations of international laws protecting civilians, affecting infrastructure like schools and hospitals. This has severe consequences for children, exposing them to displacement, hunger, diseases, and mental health risks.
Children are disproportionately affected by climate change, with long-term impacts on their development, health, education, and well-being. Experts believe 2025 offers crucial opportunities to advance global climate goals, requiring comprehensive policies, fair financing, regulatory frameworks, and effective monitoring systems.
Emerging digital trends are expected to influence children’s education, communication, and participation in the digital economy in the coming years. The annual UNICEF global children’s report emphasizes the need for a sustained effort to address recent educational losses and highlights the challenges faced by the multilateral system in responding effectively to children’s issues globally.