South Sudan President and ECW Executive Director call on donors to scale up funding

JUBA, South Sudan and YIROL, South Sudan, June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The children of South Sudan face severe risks as the result of conflict, forced displacement, poverty and climate change. To address these interconnected crises through the transformative power of education, the President of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit and Education Cannot Wait's (ECW) Executive Director Yasmine Sherif announced today US$40 million in catalytic grant funding to extend ECW's Multi-Year Resilience Programme in South Sudan for another three years. The total ECW funding in South Sudan now tops US$72 million.

“By delivering across the humanitarian-development nexus with both speed and depth, this new ECW investment will support South Sudan in delivering on the SDGs, reducing risks and building resilience as we work together to protect our people and our country from the catastrophic risks of climate change. It will serve to lift our children out of poverty, while at the same time ensuring universal human rights for the millions of children.”-Awut Deng Acuil, South Sudan Minister of Education.

"The Government of South Sudan is fully committed to ensuring that all children are able to obtain a quality education. Education Cannot Wait's top-up investment will provide life-saving educational opportunities for tens of thousands of crisis-affected girls and boys across the country. To advance this work, we are calling on world leaders to step up funding for ECW and its in-country partners. This is a critical investment in sustainable development, peace and prosperity for the people of South Sudan and for crisis-impacted children worldwide," said President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The three-year programme will be delivered by Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and Finn Church Aid, in close conjunction with the Ministry of General Education and Instruction and others partners. It will reach at least 135,000 crisis-affected children with holistic education supports that improve access to school, ensure quality learning, enhance inclusivity for girls and children with disabilities, and build resilience to future shocks.

"Years of conflict and forced displacement, compounded by climate-induced disasters, have taken a heavy toll on South Sudan's next generation. Now is the time to turn the tide and provide the most vulnerable girls and boys with the protection and hope that only a quality education offers. This is the single best investment we can make for the future of this young country and the entire region," said ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif.

"After years of war prevented generations of people from going to school, education in South Sudan remains an urgent priority with just 27% of the population able to read or write, and less than half of children enrolled in school," said Pornpun Jib Rabiltossaporn, Save the Children Country Director.