No fewer than 59 million young people are being forced into illiteracy as a result of violent conflicts and disasters, a UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report has found.
According to the UN agency, nearly three in 10 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 living in conflict- or disaster-affected countries are illiterate.
UNICEF called for greater investments in the education, particularly for the most disadvantaged children and youths.
The situation is particularly dire for girls and young women in that age group, with 33 per cent of them in emergency countries failing to learn even the basics, compared to 24 per cent of boys.
“Education can make or break a child’s future. For all children to fully reap the benefits of learning, it is key that they get the best quality education as early as possible.
“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.
“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,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.
The findings were calculated using literacy data from the UN Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 27 emergency countries.
It revealed that Niger, Chad, South Sudan and the Central African Republic, all with a long history of instability and high levels of poverty, recorded the highest illiteracy rates.
The findings found among those aged 15 to 24 with 76 per cent, 69 per cent, 68 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively, unable to read or write in the four countries.
Ensuring adequate funding for education programmes, particularly during humanitarian crises, was critical to improving these statistics.
At present, only 3.6 per cent of humanitarian funding go toward providing education for children living in emergencies, making it one of the least funded sectors in humanitarian appeals.
UNICEF estimated that over the next four years, it would spend approximately one billion dollars a year on education programmes.
In its 2018 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal launched on Tuesday, the UN agency called for 900 million dollars for education in countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters.
Some of its key interventions included accelerated education and non-formal learning opportunities, training teachers, rehabilitating schools and distributing school furniture and supplies.
At the same time, UNICEF also called on governments and partners to provide young children with access to quality early education programmes to support their development and set them up to continue learning throughout their childhood.
It offered illiterate young people the opportunity to learn to read and write and further their education through specially designed alternative and accelerated education programmes. (NAN)