News

Uganda hosts almost 1.4 million refugees, a number expected to increase by the end of 2018. The constant influx of refugees has affected the education sector, while ethnic tensions amongst certain tribal groups have resulted in violence in schools.

To address these issues, the European Commission is supporting UNESCO with 800,000 € in humanitarian funding to promote access to quality education that also addresses the unique issues relevant to children and young people within three refugee host districts of Northern Uganda. This will be done through education sensitive to post conflict situations that fosters inclusivity, social cohesion, resilience, respect and safe learning environments for all learners irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds.

“Many refugee children have missed out on school and are left with psychological scars from the conflict and displacement they experienced. As refugees they continue to face many barriers to accessing education that is safe and of good quality. Since 2015, the European Union has consistently increased support for education in emergencies. By 2019, it will reach 10% of the EU humanitarian aid budget. Each child has the right to learn. Education provides children with support, protection and the skills to build a better future for themselves and the communities that host them,”said Isabelle D’Haudt, Head of Office for the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations in Uganda.

The EU-UNESCO project focuses on strengthening policies and practices in the education sector and building the capacity of teachers to implement conflict sensitive education programs which address the needs of children, help them overcome trauma and improve their well-being.

“I welcome this first partnership of UNESCO with the EU on education in emergencies, which aims at building safe school environments in conflict situation to ensure the well-being of the most vulnerable children. Such cooperation is significant for UNESCO, an organization committed to ensure that education remains a top priority even in critical emergency circumstances,” said Paolo Fontani, UNESCO Representative to the European Institutions.

The project supported with EU humanitarian aid, targets more than twenty thousand people, mainly children and young people. It will develop standardized guidelines and tools for conflict sensitive education. It also aims at conducting a systematic conflict analysis to help understand the causes, actors and dynamics of conflict, and to translate analysis into actions that can support conflict resolution and prevention.

The two-year long project will eventually support the establishment of Psychological Support Programs for learners that have been affected by conflict to create a supportive learning environment and promote learners’ psychological well-being.

As the UN lead agency for education, UNESCO plays an active role in promoting lifelong quality education for all people – children, youth and adults – as part of emergency response as well as long-term recovery. UNESCO’s work in this field is anchored in the Education 2030 Agenda, which aims to ‘develop education systems that are more resilient and responsive in the face of conflict, social unrest and natural hazards – and to ensure that education is maintained during emergency, conflict and post-conflict situations’.

For more information, please contact:

Project Coordinator UNESCO Uganda v.kisaakye@unesco.org

URL:

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/brussels/about-this-office/single-view/news/unesco_and_the_european_union_join_forces_in_northern_uganda/