UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Published purpose

The project provides support to Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a global fund that aims to transform the delivery of education in emergencies. ECW focuses on joining governments, humanitarian actors and development efforts for a more rapid response to the educational needs of children and youth affected by crises. The fund is innovative through its focus on developing new approaches to bridge the gap between humanitarian assistance and development in the education sector, and engaging the global business community through innovative financing. It is designed to increase political mobilization, raise multi-year funding, improve coordination of different stakeholders, and strengthen organizations’ capacity and accountability for education responses during crises. The fund aims to reach 1.4 million children and youth in the first year of operations, working towards the ultimate goal of reaching an estimated total of 75 million affected children and youth through ECW (and other delivery mechanisms) by 2030. Support to ECW is advancing a focus on the poorest and most vulnerable, including out of school children and youth, and helping to support fragile states.