European Union support to UNICEF will ensure access to basic education for almost 15, 000 children

04:29 PM October, 24 2017

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European Union support to UNICEF will ensure access to basic education for almost 15, 000 children in Sudan
Khartoum, 23 October 2017 – As part of their continued commitment to children affected by conflict, the EU has contributed €1 million to support UNICEF’s Education in Emergencies (EiE) programme in Sudan.
“I just visited the Darfur region. I saw how traumatic and devastating the conflicts were for children in Sudan, both for those fleeing South Sudan and Sudanese uprooted for many years from their homes by violence. It is a priority for the EU to give these children a chance to go to school. It is our moral duty to give them hope for a better future, through education,” said Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides, just concluded a visit to Sudan.

According to the 2017 Sudan Humanitarian Needs Overview, there are 4 million school aged children (4-16 years) living in eight conflict affected states in Sudan. An estimated 1.8 million of these children are in need of education in emergency support. The school enrolment rate in these states currently stands at 51 per cent, which is lower than the 59 per cent average across the rest of the country.

“Education not only provides an immediate sense of normalcy for children in crisis, it also is the foundation of community cohesion and a chance for a better future. Despite this fact, education unfortunately remains the most underfunded of our emergency sectors, and we are pleased that ECHO is taking a lead globally in advocating for the importance of education in emergencies” says Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Sudan Representative.

This generous contribution will be crucial in reaching thousands of the most vulnerable school aged children. More specifically, it will restore access to education for almost 15,000 school-aged conflict affected children, fifty percent of whom are girls, in North Darfur, East Darfur and West Kordofan states. Support will also be provided to the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms including water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.

Additionally, capacity development will be provided to 330 teachers and 210 parent teacher association (PTA) members. Teacher training will include education in emergencies, interactive teaching, psychosocial support, and community cohesion for quality education and violence prevention. This EU-UNICEF partnership will also support life skills and extra-curricular activities for conflict-affected children and adolescents, through the formation of children school clubs for hygiene promotion and sports.
In 2016, through the contribution of the EU and other donors, UNICEF and its implementing partners enabled almost 280,000 out of schoolchildren from rural areas, nomadic and emergency affected communities, access to basic and alternative learning programmes.

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About EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid
The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.
The European Commission ensures rapid and effective delivery of EU relief assistance through its two main instruments: humanitarian aid and civil protection. The Commission, through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department, helps over 120 million victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection department provides assistance to the most vulnerable people solely on the basis of humanitarian needs. For more information, please visit the European Commission's website https://ec.europa.eu/echo/https://ec.europa.eu/echo/


About UNICEF:
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org


For more information please contact:
Alison Parker, Chief of Communication, UNICEF Sudan, +249-912 179 116, [email protected]
You can follow UNICEF Sudan on Twitter (https://twitter.com/unicefsudanhttps://twitter.com/unicefsudan) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/UnicefSudan123https://www.facebook.com/UnicefSudan123)