A classroom out door./ PHOTO; from Pexel
Children across parts of Africa who are missing school because of floods, drought, conflict, and displacement are set to benefit from a new $1 million initiative aimed at protecting education during climate and humanitarian crises.
Education Cannot Wait has awarded the funding to ODI Global and Oxfam to strengthen global action on climate-related education loss, with a major focus on vulnerable African communities.
The 30-month project will centre on Burkina Faso, Niger and South Sudan, where many children already face repeated interruptions to learning caused by insecurity, displacement and extreme weather conditions.
Humanitarian organisations say climate shocks are increasingly worsening Africa’s education crisis, damaging schools, disrupting learning and pushing more children out of classrooms.
Yet despite the growing impact, education remains largely overlooked in global climate financing frameworks.
The initiative aims to address that gap by building evidence on how climate change affects learning in crisis settings while also helping local organisations advocate for stronger investment in climate-resilient education systems.
Communities involved in the programme will also receive support to develop safer and more sustainable temporary learning spaces capable of operating during emergencies and displacement.
Maysa Jalbout, Director of Education Cannot Wait, said the initiative is intended to ensure children affected by climate disasters are not excluded from global climate responses.
“The climate crisis is an education crisis, already disrupting the learning of millions of children,” she said. “We must ensure climate finance reflects what children stand to lose and supports their ability to keep learning in the face of crisis.”
Research conducted through the project will help shape recommendations aimed at ensuring education is included in international climate funding decisions under the United Nations climate framework.
Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive of ODI Global, said understanding the impact of climate change on education is essential to protecting the future of children and young people.
“We must understand how it impacts education and ensure financial resources are delivered to where they are needed most,” she said.
The initiative forms part of wider efforts to strengthen resilience in African education systems as climate-related emergencies continue to increase across the continent.
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