New York, Sept 3 (Petra) – Global funding cuts to education could force an additional 6 million children out of school by the end of 2026, a third of them living in humanitarian emergencies, the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) warned on Wednesday.

In a new study, UNICEF said official development assistance for education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion a 24% drop from 2023 – with three donor governments responsible for around 80% of the cuts.

The report found the decline would raise the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million, equivalent to the combined population of primary school students in Germany and Italy.

“Every dollar cut from education is not just a financial decision it puts a child’s future on the line,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Education is a lifeline, especially in emergencies, connecting children to vital services such as health, protection and nutrition, while offering the best chance to escape poverty and build a better life.”

West and Central Africa are projected to be hardest hit, with 1.9 million children at risk of dropping out. The Middle East and North Africa could see 1.4 million more children out of school, with significant declines expected across other regions as well.

UNICEF said 28 countries are likely to lose at least a quarter of the education aid they rely on to provide pre-primary, primary and secondary schooling.

The agency urged donor and partner countries to act now to protect education by rebalancing funding to make it fairer and more effective, including allocating at least 50% to the least developed countries.

//Petra// AF
03/09/2025 21:38:47