On September 27, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power announced $37 million in new contributions to the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) global fund at its biannual High Level Steering Group.
This contribution will support ECW in ensuring that children and youth in countries experiencing emergencies and protracted crises have access to life-saving and life-sustaining education services, in particular as countries respond and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Education in humanitarian contexts can provide lifesaving spaces, access to information and other services, a foundation for lifelong learning, and hope for the future.
The United States has long supported education, particularly in the context of crisis and conflict, and we have been a proud supporter, advocate, and contributor to Education Cannot Wait since its inception in 2016. This contribution of $37 million is our largest contribution to date, bringing our total support since FY 2017 to more than $77 million, including $39 million through the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and $38 million through USAID.
We commend ECW on its progress, achievements, and work bringing quality education to children who need it the most and responding to the call to address widening education inequality that is driven by increased number, duration and intensity of crises around the globe.
We look forward to continuing our work with ECW to deliver results, build humanitarian and development coherence, improve learning outcomes, and reach those in the most vulnerable situations - especially girls, gender and sexual minorities, and children with disabilities - so that all children can experience the transformative effects of education and reach their full potential.
