Education Partnership for Children of Conflict

Officially launched at the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative, the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict (EPCC) is co-chaired by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and Council on Foreign Relations Term Member, Angelina Jolie, and Gene Sperling, Director of the Center for Universal Education. Coordinated by the Center for Universal Education at the Council on Foreign Relations, the Partnership believes that education is a vital part of a comprehensive humanitarian strategy for conflict, post-conflict, refugee and emergency settings.

Quick Facts About Children of Conflict:

Only 6% of refugee students are enrolled in secondary education, and even fewer opportunities exist for internally displaced youth.(Women’s Commission, p. iii)

At least 6 million children have been seriously injured or permanently disabled by armed conflict. (UN Office of the Secretary-General for Children of Armed Conflict, 2005)

300,000 children serve as child soldiers in armed conflicts, 40% of them girls. (UNICEF. State of the World’s Children 2005)

From 2005 to 2006 the number almost doubled, from 6.6 million to 12.8 million, for Internally Displaced Persons receiving protection and assistance from UNHCR .(United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 2006)

Of almost 14 million refugees and IDPs around the world, 45% of them are under the age 18, and 48% of those are girls.

In Darfur, in northern Sudan, only 39% of primary-aged children are enrolled in school. (Ministry of Education, Sudan)

In Liberia, after 14 years of conflict, an estimated 60% of primary school students are over-age. This can lead to increased dropout rates and it also discourages families from sending their younger children to school, especially their girls, if there are over-aged boys in school. Because children in conflict-affected countries are prevented from starting school until they are older, there is often an above-average age school population.(Save the Children UK, 2005)
Only 1.5% of the total global humanitarian contributions in 2004 went toward education (Women’s Commission, p. v, based on ReliefWeb)

Donors pledged just 37% of the $46 million requested for education through the UN consolidated appeals process in 2002 - excluding appeals for Afghanistan. (Women’s Commission, p. v, based on ReliefWeb)