Six million more children could be deprived of school, warns UNICEF

In a report released Tuesday, September 2, UNICEF announced that an additional 6 million children – 30% of them in "humanitarian contexts" – are at risk of being deprived of schooling by the end of 2026 due to a major projected drop in international aid to the education sector.

Six million is "likely to empty all the primary schools in Germany and Italy," the agency notes, for comparison. In total, this would bring the number of children deprived of schooling to 278 million worldwide. In addition, 290 million children worldwide would be at risk of a decline in the quality of their education.

According to the UN agency's analysis, official development assistance (ODA) for education is expected to fall by $3.2 billion (around €2.75 billion) by next year, a 24% drop since 2023. Nearly 80% of this decline is linked to cuts announced by the United States, Germany, and France.

"Every dollar cut from education is not just a budgetary decision, it is a child's future that is at stake," insisted UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell in a press release.

Geographically, the Central and West African regions would be the most affected, with 1.9 million children at risk of being deprived of education. In total, 28 countries would lose at least a quarter of the education aid they rely on. Côte d'Ivoire and Mali would be particularly at risk, the UN agency said, estimating that 340,000 and 180,000 students respectively would be affected.

The agency is also concerned about countries experiencing humanitarian crises, where the cuts could be most severe. Some areas, such as Haiti, Somalia, and the Palestinian territories, could lose the equivalent of 10 percent of their national education budgets. For refugees from Burma's Rohingya minority, 350,000 children could lose access to basic education "permanently."

Beyond a drop in the number of children enrolled in school, this drop in development aid also threatens school food aid programs – "sometimes the only meal a child receives," according to UNICEF – which would see their budgets cut in half. The agency also warns of the impact on girls' education, with planned cuts in funding for specific school scholarships and separate toilets.

In her statement, the agency's director-general emphasized: "Education, especially in humanitarian settings, serves as a vital link, connecting children to essential services like health, protection, and nutrition. It also offers a child's best opportunity to escape poverty and build a better life."