LWF implements inclusive education for Sudanese refugees in Upper Nile and Unity States, South Sudan. Photo: Church of Sweden
"A lifeline for millions of children”
(LWI) - Education in emergencies is lifesaving and must continue to be a priority in humanitarian work. LWF endorses a statement of the East and Southern Africa Regional Education in Emergencies Working Group, warning that “education in emergencies is under significant threat of being dropped completely from humanitarian needs and response plans”.
The working group, consisting of eleven international organizations including the LWF, who implement education programming in the region, expresses its concern that this would have severe consequences for hundreds of thousands of children affected by conflict and natural disaster.
The statement is a reaction to the “Humanitarian Reset Letter” issued on 11 March, 2025, by Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Following funding cuts by the United States of America, Mr Fletcher suggested creating a “simplified, more efficient humanitarian system,” prioritizing life-saving interventions such as water, food and shelter.
Investment into growth and peacebuilding
LWF and partners warn that in humanitarian crises, education is often one of the first systems to be disrupted. “Crises often lead to the closure or destruction of schools, with some repurposed for military use or emergency shelter. [...] Education must be seen as a lifesaving intervention that is prioritized in Humanitarian Needs and Response Plans and humanitarian responses as it provides physical and psychosocial protection, reducing such vulnerabilities as exploitation, violence, child labor, early marriage and recruitment into armed groups” the statement reads.
For millions of children, education in emergencies is a lifeline, preventing child labor, forced recruitment and early marriage. Photo: Church of Sweden
Education must be seen as a lifesaving intervention that is prioritized in Humanitarian Needs and Response Plans and humanitarian responses as it provides physical and psychosocial protection, reducing such vulnerabilities as exploitation, violence, child labor, early marriage and recruitment into armed groups.
Statement text
LWF World Service has been implementing education programming on behalf of the United Nations for decades. Most notably, LWF manages the schools in the refugee camps of Kakuma and Dadaab, Kenya and in several refugee settlements in South Sudan, and supports education in emergencies in Venezuela and other places.
This work has been heavily impacted by recent funding cuts, not only to the education programs themselves, but also to support systems such as water and sanitation infrastructure near schools or school feeding programs, protection services and programs to advocate for girl’s education.
Without education, children are at risk of being exploited, trafficked or recruited into armed groups. Millions of children in South and East Africa are already out of school. Deprioritizing education means an increase in child labor and early marriage and risks the future of generations, the statement says, calling for prioritization and adequate funding of inclusive, quality education in emergencies initiatives in East and Southern Africa.
“We urge donors, governments, and humanitarian agencies to protect funding for inclusive, quality education in emergencies,” said Ms. Caroline Tveoy, Head of International Programs in LWF World Service. “This is an investment not only in children’s future, but also in peace and recovery for the communities where they live.”
