Educating Children and Youth in Crisis and Conflict Situations

Ugandan girls reading during the UNITY program. UNITY is Uganda's cornerstone education program. Over the last five years, UNITY has contributed to enhancing the quality of an estimated 7 million primary school children.

Garrett McIndoe/Creative Associates

More than 67 million primary school-aged children are not in school worldwide and 40 million of them live in countries affected by armed conflict. Millions more are living in situations where natural disasters have forced them from their homes.

Education systems in these countries are not providing youth with the skills they need to escape poverty, unemployment, and the economic despair that often contributes to violent conflict.

USAID’s programs reach youth in crisis and conflict-affected environments to:

• Improve equitable access to education, especially for the most vulnerable, such as displaced populations, ethnic minorities and war-affected youth.
• Provide safe access to schools for students and teachers, especially  for girls.
• Rebuild education systems, including the teaching corps. Improve the management of school systems.
• Prevent and mitigate conflict and crisis though activities such as the development of conflict -sensitive education programs, and community engagement.

Our goal is to increase equitable access to education in crisis and conflict environments for 15 million learners by 2015.