NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Education Cannot Wait (ECW) called on world leaders to provide US$1.5 billion in urgent funding to support the UN's global fund for education in emergencies and its strategic partners in reaching 20 million crisis-impacted children in the next four years.

11q‘ECW’s case for investment is our case for humanity. It is our collective plea to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and universal human rights.’ – Yasmine Sherif, Director, Education Cannot Wait.q1

ECW's new Case for Investment and 2023-2026 Strategic Plan set out a bold new ambition for the UN's breakthrough global fund, which has mobilized over US$1 billion and directly supported nearly 7 million children since its inception in 2016, and an additional 31.2 million with its COVID-19 response.

Recent analysis from ECW indicates that as many as 222 million crisis-impacted girls and boys are in need of urgent education support. More than 78 million of these children are out of school altogether, with approximately 120 million not attaining minimum proficiencies in reading or math.

World leaders, donors and other global advocates are joining ECW's global #222MillionDreams campaign in lead up to the Fund's High-Level Financing Conference, which will take place in Geneva in February 2023.

"Despite its vital importance, education in emergencies remains chronically underfunded while needs are growing," said Ignazio Cassis, President of the Swiss Confederation, in support of the #222MillionDreams campaign.  

With the war in Ukraine, jumps in forced displacement, the specter of famine across the Sahel and East Africa, and other crises, education in emergencies funding appeals reached US$2.9 billion in 2021, up from US$1.4 billion the previous year, according to analysis from ECW's Annual Results Report.

"Our case for investment is our case for humanity. It is our collective plea to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and universal human rights," said ECW Director Yasmine Sherif.

ECW's Case For Investment outlines a value-proposition "to create a world where all children and adolescents affected by crises can learn free of cost, in safety and without fear," including important details on the Fund's efforts to address the climate crisis, engage the private sector, ensure gender equality, catalyze political support, and enhance flexible and high-impact interventions to reach those left furthest behind.    

"Investing in education is an investment in peace, stability and prosperity. Indeed, education is our investment in the future," said Alicia Herbert, ECW Executive Committee Chair.

People looking to make a difference can call for leaders to take action, using the #222MillionDreams hashtag and by making individual donations to ECW.