Overview
Of the 2.5 million school-aged children in need of lifesaving and lifesustaining education, the Education Sector aims to reach 400,000 boys and girls in 2015 with Education in Emergency (EiE) support, with funding requirement of USD $ 59.5 million. EiE key activities focuses on reaching children in need with the provision of temporary learning spaces (TLS) (benefitting 180,000), WASH in schools (175,000), education supplies (400,000), alongside school feeding (895,000).
Additionally the sector supports community mobilisation: to get displaced children back into school; increase the number of teachers using child-friendly teaching methods and foster the provision of psychosocial care and support to vulnerable children.
In the first two quarters of the year, ongoing conflicts in Darfur region resulted in new displacements of more than 40,000 primary school-aged children. These new arrivals compounded an already dire situation with over-crowded classrooms, inadequate school supplies and teaching personnel. A similar situation prevails in the conflict affected areas of Kordofan and Blue Nile states where local schools strive to accommodate new arrivals. The situation is particularly critical in localities with high influx of IDPs such as Damazine, Roseiris, Kadulgli, Abassia, Rashad and Habila.
Response to date
To date, the Sector has provided basic emergency assistance to schools in IDP camps/gatherings and conflict-affected host communities in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile states. Over 112,000 children (56,992 girls) were assisted with provision of essential teaching, learning and recreational material and 79,621 children (40,134 girls) benefited from construction and rehabilitation of temporary learning spaces (TLS).
Due to funding constraints, progress against most key indicators is significantly low. School feeding has been the highest funded component of the sector so far and has reached nearly 950,000 children across Sudan.