HUMANITARIAN CRISES AFFECT 123M AFRICAN SCHOOL CHILDREN

This month, the African Union Annual Humanitarian Symposium brought together delegates to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crises in Africa and its impact on internally displaced children. Displacement robs children of their childhoods, disrupting access to education, as they are forced to constantly flee from danger.

In a poignant speech, Mahlaba Mamba, Eswatini's Permanent Representative to the African Union (@MfaicSd on X), shared alarming statistics: Humanitarian crises affect an estimated 123 million school-aged children, with 46 million out of school.

Without proper education, the future for these children looks bleak. A @UNICEF report highlights that nine out of ten children in sub-Saharan Africa cannot read and understand a simple text by the age of 10. Looking at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan due to a proxy war, @SaveTheChildren reported more than 2.8 million babies, toddlers and preschoolers have been displaced across Sudan, and the situation is rapidly deteriorating for children of all ages.

Video credit: @_AfricanUnion (X)

SOURCES:

https://x.com/_AfricanUnion/status/1859529244600119301?t=6uDfRlXR1OzI034c8OV3cg&s=19

https://www.unicef.org/esa/stories/unicef-joins-forces-africa-union-prioritize-education-2024#:~:text=Quality%20is%20also%20of%20concern,ESARO's%20flagship%20programmes%20for%202024.

https://dtm.iom.int/reports/dtm-sudan-mobility-update-10

https://www.unicef.org/esa/stories/unicef-joins-forces-africa-union-prioritize-education-2024#:~:text=9%20out%20of%2010%20children%20in%20sub%2DSaharan%20Africa%20could%20not%20read%20and%20understand%20a%20simple%20text%20by%20the%20age%20of%2010

https://www.savethechildren.net/news/over-28-million-children-under-five-forced-their-home-across-sudan#:~:text=More%20than%202.8%20million%20babies%2C%20toddlers%20and%20preschoolers