A school for children of war

Young Syrians attend classes at El Jirahiyeh public school, in Bekaa Valley, Al Marj district, Lebanon on November 12, 2013. Credits: ENPI Info Centre

Syrian children have suffered “the fastest and clearest educational decline” ever seen in the Middle East, announced the UN and several NGOs in a report published recently. Refugee children are faced with several difficulties related to lack of space, insecurity, poverty, community tensions and different dialects. In Lebanon, the ‘Back to learning’ UNICEF programme, which is funded by the EU, is trying to overcome these difficulties.

(Updated 22/05/2016)

The Syria conflict has triggered the world's largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Humanitarian needs continue to rise, population displacements are increasing, and an entire generation of children is being exposed to war and violence, increasingly deprived of basic services, education and protection.

The European Union and its Member States collectively are leading the international response. More than EUR5 billion have been mobilised for relief and recovery assistance to Syrians in their country and to refugees and their host communities in neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt. In addition, the EU pledged EUR3 billion at the 'Supporting Syria' conference held in London.

Through its humanitarian partners, the European Commission is supporting humanitarian programmes which provide millions of people with life-saving assistance including food and safe drinking water, non-food items, shelter, emergency medical treatments and protection.

The EU calls for the respect of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the protection of civilians, especially children and women, and condemns all indiscriminate attacks on civilians by all parties of the conflict. The EU also calls for all parties to the conflict to allow unhindered and sustained humanitarian access, across conflict lines as well as borders, to ensure safe delivery of humanitarian aid and medical care to all people in need.

Children account for half of the victims of conflict across the world. They are often the hardest hit by war and disaster.

When the EU received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2012, it decided to use the prize money (just under 1€ million) to create the EU Children of Peace initiative to fund humanitarian projects for children in crisis-affected regions.

EU-funded projects in this area have provided children with access to schools where they can learn in a safe environment and receive psychological support to deal with their traumatic war experiences.

The EU's commitment to funding projects in the area of 'education in emergencies' did not stop with the Nobel Peace Prize. Every year since the launch of the EU Children of Peace initiative, the European Commission has increased its funding allocation for this sector. In 2016, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides decided to boost this funding to 4% of the annual humanitarian budget of the Commission (roughly €50 million).

"Education is one of the best tools to help girls and boys build a peaceful and prosperous future. It is crucial for both the development and protection of children affected by conflict. Educational activities provide girls and boys with psycho-social support and help create at least some sense of normality," the Commission stated.

Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, the EU and its Member States have mobilised EUR6.4 billion to address its causes and consequences at regional level. At the London conference in February 2016, the EU and its Member States made nearly two third of the 2016 pledges, including a further EUR 2.39 billion from the EU budget to assist the Syrian people for the period 2016-2017.

Previously, the Commission had established in 2014 the EU Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian crisis, the "Madad Fund" that has now reached a funding of EUR730 million in contributions from the EU budget, from 21 Member States and from Turkey. The trust fund will notably finance actions in support to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq with a focus on increased access of refugees to education, training, livelihoods and healthcare. In addition, the facility for refugees in Turkey provides a mechanism to coordinate contributions from Member States and the EU budget amounting to EUR3 billion.