UN's $4 Billion Plan for Schools in War-Torn Areas

Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, announced on Monday that a plan has been initiated by the organization to raise $3.8 billion aimed at helping educate children deprived of schooling due to war or natural disasters. He made this announcement at the first international humanitarian action summit in Istanbul. According to Reuters, last year, the education of over 75 million children living in war-torn areas or regions affected by natural disasters was disrupted, forcing these children into labor or making them victims of traffickers and extremist groups. The goal of the new UN plan is to assist over 13 million children in accessing education within the next five years and over 75 million by 2030. Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the UK and UN Special Envoy, stated: "For the first time, we will directly allocate humanitarian funding to education. The outcome will not be temporary assistance for weeks and months but years of support for children's education. With this funding, we can prevent children in crisis areas from falling into poverty and begging." On average, only two percent of international humanitarian budgets are directly allocated to education. A report from a London research center called the 'Overseas Development Institute' indicates that despite the increasing need in this area, funding for education in critical regions has nearly halved since 2010. Gordon Brown added: "Without access to educational facilities, children in crisis areas are forced into labor at a very young age, compelled to marry, recruited by armed groups, and in some cases, fall prey to extremist groups and join the ranks of fighters." Education is one of the main topics at the two-day summit attended by representatives from governments, economic leaders, and financial donors in Istanbul. One of the objectives of this summit is to find responses to the UN Secretary-General's call for help, who described the current global situation as the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, affecting 130 million people due to the consequences of war or natural disasters. Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, urged world leaders to act on their promises before the summit began. "I ask world leaders to show generosity and fulfill their promises. They must implement each of their commitments, including those related to children's education." According to a report released by UNICEF prior to the summit, an average of four schools or hospitals are occupied or attacked by armed groups every day around the world. In Syria alone, over six thousand schools have been closed due to attacks by armed groups or their occupation. The 'Overseas Development Institute' states that since the outbreak of war in Syria, educational standards in the country have fallen to the level of South Sudan, which has one of the worst educational standards in the world. One reason for this situation is the lack of timely and adequate funding from the international community to address this need. According to assessments by this research center, educational budgets and facilities in Syria and neighboring countries have drastically declined. One of the main needs of residents in war-torn areas and Syrian refugees living in neighboring countries is access to education for children and suitable schools. This plan will fund the construction of schools and assist in educating children through non-profit and humanitarian organizations that provide services faster and cheaper than the UN or the World Bank. The director of the 'Overseas Development Institute' stated that currently, a large portion of international aid collected is wasted due to the slow and cumbersome bureaucracy, resulting in very little practical outcome. One of the goals of the new plan is to address the shortcomings in the current system.