Save the Children Afghanistan Country Director Addresses General Assembly

WESTPORT, Conn. (March 18, 2009) — Millions of children who cannot attend school because they live in areas affected by conflict or natural disasters will be in the spotlight today, as the United Nations General Assembly begins a formal debate on the importance of education in emergencies.

"The number of emergencies worldwide is increasing, from conflicts in Sri Lanka and Gaza to the recent natural disasters in Bangladesh and Myanmar, leading to an alarming number of children missing school," said Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children.  "Every year an average of 750,000 children have their education disrupted or miss out entirely on education due to humanitarian disasters. Over half of the 75 million children out of school worldwide, 40 million children, live in areas affected by conflict."

Leslie Wilson, Save the Children's country director for Afghanistan.

Leslie Wilson, country director for Save the Children in Afghanistan, will address the General Assembly to describe how national school enrollment has increased faster in recent years than in any other country in the world. The number of children entering Afghan schools increased from less than 1 million children in 2002, to more than 6 million in 2006.

Save the Children's experience shows that it is possible to provide education even in some of the most difficult situations. In Afghanistan over the past 4 years, in spite of ongoing violence and insecurity, nearly 3 million children have benefited from improved education due to a Save the Children partnership with the Ministry of Education to provide teacher and school management training. 

"The international community needs to take decisive action not just in the aftermath, but before and during disasters to make sure children's schooling continues," said MacCormack. "Education can save lives by keeping children safe from disease and conflict. If we can keep education going, we can help children and families survive and rebuild their communities after an emergency."

In Sri Lanka, in spite of increasing fighting in the north and the mass movement of people, more than 900,000 children have benefited from improved education through Save the Children's partnership with UNICEF on a new model to deliver education in emergencies.  The agencies have also found other innovative approaches such as home learning for children who cannot attend school regularly due to insecurity.

During the U.N. debate, Save the Children will highlight its international campaign, Rewrite the Future, which seeks to improve educational opportunities for children in areas of conflict and recent natural disasters.

The General Assembly debate comes less than a week after peace negotiators and education experts joined representatives of governments and the United Nations at a unique summit in Sarajevo, where participants examined how quality education can be prioritized during the peace process, and become a reality for children living in conflict-affected countries.

Save the Children is the leading, independent organization creating lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. For more than 75 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive and thrive by improving their health, education and economic opportunities and, in times of acute crisis, mobilizing lifesaving assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. For more information, visit: www.savethechildren.org