Save the Children Welcomes EU Nobel Peace Prize Money Dedicated to Supporting Education of Children in Conflict Areas

WESTPORT, Conn. — Save the Children welcomes the European Union’s decision to dedicate the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize money to provide education in disasters and conflicts. EU will match the prize to bring the total to 2 million euros (or around $2.5 million).

This is the first time the European Commission’s humanitarian agency ECHO – the largest global humanitarian donor in the world – will exclusively dedicate funding to education in emergencies.

“Conflicts and natural disasters affect hundreds of thousands of children on a daily basis. Education will ensure children have the tools and resilience to think beyond the emergency and hope for a better future. The impact of education interventions go beyond the aftermath of an emergency,” said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children.

Globally, the lack of funding keeps many children out of education in these emergencies. This year, education needs only amounted to 1 percent of overall humanitarian aid, making it the most underfunded area.

“We welcome this as the first step toward building greater momentum around education as a critical part of any humanitarian response,” said Miles. “It is crucial that key agencies like ECHO see education as vital to responding to what children need, and endorse this through its own humanitarian operations.”

This announcement comes at a time when emergencies are overwhelmingly affecting children. For example, thousands of Syrian refugee children living in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey have had their lives interrupted and are waiting to go to school in refugee camps and host communities. The demand for schools and psychosocial support for children who have suffered is huge and is largely being ignored. Only 10 percent of the $13 million global funding goal has been met to ensure Syrian children have access to education.

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in more than 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Without you...A Child Goes Without. See how you can help.