UNITED NATIONS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-five civil society organizations have asked for additional funding of 50 million U.S. dollars for Education Cannot Wait (ECW) to help deal with the COVID-19 crisis in vulnerable countries.
The ECW, the global fund dedicated to education in emergencies, expects that an initial 50 million dollars in additional funding will be required to respond to the COVID-related education needs for the coming three months, said the 25 organizations in a joint statement on Wednesday.
These funds will continue to ensure learning continuity; support accelerated learning; facilitate distance learning; raise further awareness of risks associated with COVID-19; provide water, sanitation and hygiene services; and prioritize mental health and psychosocial services and protection efforts, said the statement.
"As civil society representatives, we urgently call upon current and prospective ECW donors to commit additional resources to meet this funding goal," it said. "By making specific, measurable commitments and swiftly delivering increased funding for ECW we can take significant steps to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on all crisis-affected and displaced children and youth seeking a quality education."
More than 1.5 billion children and youth around the world are affected by school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting over 91 percent of the world's student population, said the statement.
The ECW is hosted by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The 25 civil society organizations that issued the joint statement include Care International, Malala Fund, Oxfam, Save the Children, UNICEF USA.
