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Unicef - 3 in 10 young people in conflict or disaster-stricken countries are illiterate

Nearly 3 in 10 young people aged between 15 and 24 years old – 59 million – living in countries affected by conflict or disaster are illiterate, triple the global rate, UNICEF said yesterday.

Niger, Chad, South Sudan and Central African Republic – all countries with a long history of instability and high levels of poverty – are home to the highest illiteracy rates among young people with 76 per cent, 69 per cent, 68 per cent and 64 per cent of 15 to 24 year olds, respectively, unable to read or write.

“These numbers are a stark reminder of the tragic impact that crises have on children’s education, their futures, and the stability and growth of their economies and societies,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore. “An uneducated child who grows into an illiterate youth in a country ripped apart by conflict or destroyed by disasters may not have much of a chance.”

This new analysis – calculated using UNESCO’s literacy rates in 27 emergency countries featured in UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2018 appeal – is released ahead of this week’s Global Partnership for Education Replenishment Conference in Dakar, Senegal.

The analysis also notes that girls and young women are at the biggest disadvantage when it comes to reading and writing, with 33 per cent of them in emergency countries failing to learn even the basics, compared to 24 per cent of boys.

Yet, despite its role in leveling the playing field for the most vulnerable children and young people, education remains severely underfunded. Currently, only 3.6 per cent of humanitarian funding goes toward providing education for children living in emergencies, making it one of the least funded sectors in humanitarian appeals.

Overall, UNICEF estimates that it will spend approximately $1 billion a year on education programmes over the next four years. Just yesterday, UNICEF launched a humanitarian appeal for $900 million for education in countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters.

UNICEF works in countries around the world to get children into school and learning including by providing accelerated education and non-formal learning opportunities, training teachers, rehabilitating schools and distributing school furniture and supplies.

In West and Central Africa, home to emergency countries with the highest rates of illiteracy among youth at 39 per cent and where the third replenishment conference will be hosted, UNICEF works with a range of partners to help children learn despite conflict and insecurity. A partnership with the governments of Cameroon and Niger, for example, is helping expand an innovative radio education programme that provides an alternative learning platform for children and youth affected by crises. More than 144 episodes on literacy and numeracy are broadcast across radio in French, Fulfulde, Hausa and Kanouri. The programme will soon be rolled out in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau.

UNICEF urges governments and other partners to take action to tackle the education crisis affecting children and young people in emergencies including by:

  • Providing young children with access to quality early education programmes to support their development and set them up to continue learning throughout their childhood;
  • Offering illiterate young people the opportunity to learn to read and write and further their education through specially designed alternative and accelerated education programmes;
  • ncreasing investment in education, particularly for the most disadvantaged children and youth.

“Education can make or break a child’s future,” Ms. Fore said. “For all children to fully reap the benefits of learning, it is key that they get the best quality education possible, as early as possible.” 

Notes to editors

UNICEF used UIS 2018 data to calculate illiteracy rates among young people aged between 15 and 24 years old in 27 of countries with available data out of 32 emergency countries where UNICEF has a humanitarian appeal.

About GPE REPLENISHMENT 2020

GPE’s third replenishment for 2018-2020 aims to raise significant commitments to education from partner countries, and current and new donors in order to ensure that all children and youth are in school and learning. The replenishment will focus on education for children in emergencies, inclusive education and early learning. For more information, visit here

For more information, please contact:

Unicef UK Media Team, 0207 375 6030, media@unicef.org.uk
Morwenna Darby, +44 (0)20 7375 6030, morwennad@unicef.org.uk

About Unicef

Unicef is the world’s leading organisation for children, promoting 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.

Unicef UK raises funds to protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow’s children. As a registered charity we raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign to keep children safe. Unicef UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and with local authorities in the UK. For more information please visit unicef.org.uk

Original article link: https://www.unicef.org.uk/press-releases/young-people-conflict-disaster-countries-illiterate/

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