A Call for Financial Support for Education in Emergencies

January 28, 2015

Gordon Brown at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown has called for a global emergency education fund to benefit children who are out of school due to conflict, disease or natural disasters. The Special Envoy discusses the lack of needed funds to support a double-shift system in Lebanon for Syrian refugee students. While there has been $100 million pledged for this plan – which was developed with UNICEF and UNHCR and is supported by the Lebanese government – there is still a need for an additional $163 million. He acknowledges the role that the Global Business Coalition for Education and other organizations can play in providing financial support in an emergency, yet there remains a need for greater financial support for humanitarian funding for education beyond the 1% it currently receives.