UNICEF helps children get back to school in Horn of Africa

Media release

22/9/11

UNICEF helps children get back to school in Horn of Africa

As the school term gets under way in the drought-hit Horn of Africa, UNICEF is stepping up its efforts to get children back to school so that they can get the support and security they need.

In crisis situations, regular routines such as going to school can give children a sense of security and normalcy. Schools and other places of learning can provide protection for vulnerable children, as well as information on how to stay healthy.

“In addition to providing children with a basic education, schools and children’s centres also play an important role to deliver life-saving messages on nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, and health education - all of which are essential in the Horn of Africa today,” said UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Elhadj As Sy.

“In camps for refugees and displaced persons especially, schools become accessible to girls and other vulnerable children who may have never stepped inside a classroom before,” added Mr. Sy. “In affected communities, places of learning also ensure access to clean water, sanitation, and feeding programmes and provide a safe space for children to protect them from violence and exploitative practices.”

“These are the opportunities that we must maximise as we continue our focus on health, nutrition and other urgent priorities.”

The current drought in the Horn of Africa has posed significant challenges to education services in all affected countries. In central and southern Somalia, an estimated 1.8 million children are out of school because of internal displacement and insecurity. In drought-affected areas of Kenya, where many refugees have sought aid, communities are under pressure to accommodate new students. More than one in four schools in these areas is struggling to absorb the increased number of students now seeking education.

UNICEF has been working to support education systems in drought-affected countries since late 2010.

In Kenya, UNICEF and its partners have been providing equipment and supplies including beds, mattresses, classroom materials and recreation kits for over 60,000 children, in schools and early-learning centres that have enrolled large displaced populations. Many of the country’s schools stayed open during the recent vacation period in drought-affected areas, so that some 1.2 million children could access feeding programmes.

In the Dadaab refugee camps in north-eastern Kenya, UNICEF has been supporting accelerated education classes for children to prepare for the new school term and is providing school tents and materials to help meet the expected increased demand for classes.

UNICEF also supported 155 schools in Somalia to stay open over the school break, reaching 37,000 internally displaced children. Since the start of 2011, UNICEF has been supporting Somalian schools for internally displaced children and those from host communities and in their places of origin for some 120,000 children. That support will expand in coming months to meet the needs of over 300,000 children, including those in some 1,500 schools in rural areas across central and southern Somalia where focus will be placed on the needs of children who have remained in their places of origin and ensuring that services continue for those who wish to return.

UNICEF’s education partners in Somalia are establishing more than 210 child-friendly spaces reaching up to 15,000 children, with water and sanitation facilities and psychosocial support provided and food vouchers distributed to children. In collaboration with child protection partners, a total of 350 child friendly spaces for 30,000 children will be up and running by 15 September.

Since late 2010, some 28,000 children in drought affected areas of Ethiopia have been enabled to continue their education through the provision of education supplies and school tents by UNICEF. UNICEF and its partners have provided temporary child friendly learning spaces and education materials and supplies for some 8,000 girls and boys, as well as supporting the construction of four primary schools in the Dollo Ado refugee camps and two in host communities. Some 140 teachers have been assisted with training, including 120 from amongst the refugee population, including a focus on peace education and psychosocial support for students.

Dennis McKinlay, Executive Director at UNICEF NZ, said “Getting children back to school quickly during or after a crisis is a proven way to protect them. Schools can offer safe spaces for learning as well as for recovery. They provide a daily routine and can give children a sense of the future beyond their immediate situation.

“Children have a right to education, even during emergencies. Education must remain a priority in mitigating the effects of the drought on the health and well-being of the children in East Africa.”

UNICEF’s total funding requirements for the emergency response stand at over US$360 million until the end of 2011. There is still a shortfall of over $90m. UNICEF NZ urgently needs funds - please donate now at www.unicef.org.nz or call 0800 800 194.

-ENDS-

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