UNESCO will provide tangible support to tens of thousands of people living through crisis in both countries, by reinforcing governance systems, expanding access to education, and helping local communities develop their financial autonomy.
In times of crisis, school is a refuge that must never falter, and access to education is a right that must be guaranteed. These initiatives reflect UNESCO's determination to provide people with opportunities to learn, to work, and to thrive - including in the most fragile and crisis-affected contexts.
Khaled El-EnanyDirector general of UNESCO
Reinforcing education in Haiti
Haiti is facing one of the most unstable periods in its recent history. Escalating violence and worsening socio-economic turmoil have undermined public institutions, strained social cohesion and placed essential services - particularly education - at serious risk.
With 3 million euros in EU support, UNESCO is launching a new programme in Haiti's north-eastern region to reinforce community schools - which serve tens of thousands of students in rural areas - ensuring their integration into the national education system and strengthening adherence to quality teaching standards. UNESCO will foster community participation and dialogue between families, teachers and educational leaders - for schools are these unique places supporting social cohesion and trust. To strengthen the governance and management of the education system, UNESCO will also work closely with national authorities to help enhance the collection and use of education data.
Expanding literacy and job opportunities in Afghanistan
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls and women are formally banned from secondary and higher education. Nearly 2.2 million of them are prevented from attending school beyond the primary level. At the same time, decades of underinvestment and recurring humanitarian crises continue to erode the overall quality of education for millions of Afghan children.
UNESCO's new 4.7 million euros EU-funded programme aims to expand economic opportunities for Afghans through training and skills development. Over the next 24 months, the new initiative will benefit 7,500 youth and adults, including returnees and host communities, across five provinces.
They will gain basic reading, writing, and math skills, along with practical training in areas such as tailoring, dairy production, poultry farming and small-scale agriculture - skills that are essential for local jobs and home-based income generation.
A renewed global commitment to education in crisis
Around the world, UNESCO is working with partners to deliver concrete educational solutions in more than thirty crisis-affected countries, providing material and psychosocial support for tens of thousands of students and teachers.
UNESCO works closely with the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships and with EU Delegations on the ground to strengthen education systems and expand access to quality learning and skills in the most vulnerable settings. Since 2020, the EU and UNESCO have partnered on 23 national, regional and global education programmes, for a total of 87 million euros.
The two new EU-funded initiatives in Haiti and Afghanistan reaffirm a shared commitment to education in response to crises and to its key stabilization role in fragile contexts.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" - UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
