UNICEF and EU Launch €200M Initiative to Support Refugee Education

The European Union and UNICEF today announced a landmark €200 million partnership aimed at providing quality education to 1.5 million refugee and displaced children. The three-year programme will operate across 12 countries including Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Bangladesh, and Kenya, focusing on both formal schooling and digital learning platforms.

The initiative comes as global displacement reaches record levels, with more than 43 million children displaced by conflict and crisis worldwide. The funding will support the construction of 2,500 new classrooms, the training of 15,000 teachers, and the distribution of learning materials in multiple languages.

Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, emphasised that education is a fundamental right that must be protected even in the most challenging circumstances. The programme will also focus on psychosocial support and the integration of displaced children into host community school systems.