UN Announces $2.5M Emergency Grant to Support Education in Haiti Amid Crisis

The 12-month grant will be administered by UNICEF in partnership with the World Food Programme and various local and international organizations.

During a high-level UN mission to Haiti, Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), unveiled a rapid-response grant of US$2.5 million aimed at providing critical access to quality education for children affected by escalating violence, insecurity, and forced displacement. This brings the total ECW funding for Haiti to over US$15.8 million.

The 12-month grant will be administered by UNICEF in partnership with the World Food Programme and various local and international organizations. The program is set to benefit nearly 75,000 children and adolescents in the severely impacted Ouest and Artibonite Departments.

Sherif emphasized the urgency of international support, stating, "World leaders must not turn their backs on the girls and boys of Haiti. These children, teachers, and families have had their rights and dignity stripped away by violence and chaos. Education has the power to protect them from sexual violence, forced recruitment, and other violations. It can also help lift an entire nation from cycles of hunger, poverty, and violence."

The funding will support a range of initiatives including cash transfers, back-to-school incentives, school feeding programs, early childhood education, disability inclusion, gender-sensitive approaches, mental health support, and environmental activities. These efforts aim to create safe and supportive learning environments for children.

Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, highlighted the severe educational crisis, noting, "The education crisis in Haiti is approaching a tragedy. School closures and displacement are depriving thousands of children of their chance to learn." He expressed gratitude to ECW for its ongoing support.

Haiti is grappling with extreme violence from armed groups, exacerbated by climate change, recurrent cyclones, and a recent earthquake. Nearly half of the population, about 5.5 million people, are in need of humanitarian assistance, with 5 million facing acute food insecurity. Approximately 580,000 people are displaced, marking a 60% increase since February.

Armed groups have targeted schools and hospitals, with reports of severe violence, including gang rape. The UN estimates that 30% to 50% of armed group members may be children. The Education Cluster reports that 1.2 million school-aged children urgently need quality education. In the Ouest and Artibonite Departments alone, about 919 schools are closed, affecting 10% of all schools in these regions.

Despite these urgent needs, the education response is only 27% funded out of the US$30 million required, according to OCHA. Education Cannot Wait and its global partners are calling on world leaders to urgently raise an additional US$600 million for their three-year strategic plan. This funding will enable ECW to expand its efforts in Haiti and other crisis-affected regions, aiming to provide 20 million children with the safety and opportunity that quality education offers.