Crises have taken their classrooms. But education cannot wait

By Reem Alabali Radovan, Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) Published on 5 November 2026 - 8:00 GMT+1 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews. "Today, the education of 258 million school-aged children worldwide is disrupted by crises," says Reem Alabali Radovan, Germany's Minister for Development in an exclusive op-ed for Euronews. That is why Germany is providing €20 million in funding for education in emergencies over the coming years. In the flood-swept valleys of Nepal, children are sleeping in the very classrooms where they used to learn. In Sudan, more than five thousand schools stand closed, leaving an entire generation waiting for peace. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Today, the education of 258 million school-aged children worldwide is disrupted by crises. Reem Alabali Radovan Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development In Ukraine, in Gaza, in the Sahel, children caught in the world's conflicts ask for remarkably little: a classroom, a teacher, a desk. Today, the education of 258 million school-aged children worldwide is disrupted by crises. For these children, missing out on quality education means missing out on chances in life. Children gather in a classroom at school in the village of Dori, Burkina Faso, 2020 Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Global spending on education aid could fall by 24 per cent this year Meanwhile, the aid the world provides for education is projected to fall by 24 per cent this year. In the very emergencies where education matters most, it is being neglected. This is a political failure before it is a financial one. When we fail to educate children in crises, we do not merely postpone their futures – we mortgage our own. Reem Alabali Radovan Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development With major consequences: When we fail to educate children in crises, we do not merely postpone their futures – we mortgage our own. Children that are denied learning are more vulnerable to violence, recruitment into armed groups, exploitation and early marriage. Girls are often the first to be denied access to education – and the last to return to school. And the societies that lose a generation to illiteracy do not quietly disappear; they export instability, forced displacement and conflict across borders. Excluding children from school today will deepen the security, economic and social challenges of tomorrow. In the short term, school is the most effective lifeline for children. Excluding children from school today will deepen the security, economic and social challenges of tomorrow. Reem Alabali Radovan Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development A classroom is a place of safety, of meals, of psychosocial support, of normality in the abnormal. Getting children back to learning within days of a disaster is the difference between trauma and recovery – and it is also the difference between hope and the loss of it. Children displaced by recent flash floods spend time inside a classroom at a school turned into a shelter in Nuwakot district, Nepal, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Ya Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved The global fund for education in emergencies is very important In the long term, school is the most effective development policy there is. It is essential for peace and stability. Every additional year of education makes a lasting difference: for literacy, for livelihoods, for girls who marry later and lead sooner, for teachers who train the next generation, for communities that can absorb a flood or a war and rebuild. That is why the work of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies, is so important. Over a decade of action, ECW and its partners have enabled education for more than 16 million crisis-affected children across 33,000 schools, even in the toughest places. Nearly 300.000 teachers – over half of them women – have been trained. And ECW has an ambitious goal: to improve access to education for another 10 million of the world's most crisis-affected children over the next four years. At a time when others are stepping back from multilateralism, Germany is stepping forward. We have committed €20 million per year Reem Alabali Radovan Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development As an international community, we can make it happen if we all contribute. That is why, at a time when others are stepping back from multilateralism, Germany is stepping forward. We have committed €20 million per year to ECW for 2027-2031 – contributing to its US$600 million replenishment target. Germany is sending a clear message Knowing that budgets are tight, we make this commitment with open eyes. Because the evidence is unambiguous: there is no more effective way to build peace, no faster way to restore dignity, and no smarter investment in our own security than a child in a classroom. Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD), the new Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Berlin, Germany, Wednesday May 7, 2025. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP) (c) Copyright 2025, dpa (www.dpa.de). Alle Rechte vorbehalten With this commitment, Germany is sending a clear message: we strongly believe in multilateral partnerships. And we remain a reliable partner. Only through collective action can we find solutions to global challenges and ensure stability worldwide. Now we ask our partners in the G7, in Europe and beyond to do the same. We must not let education become the silent casualty of our times. Reem Alabali Radovan Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development We must not let education become the silent casualty of our times. Together, we can make a difference – so that every child, everywhere, has the chance to learn and build a better future. Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Read more Kärcher boss: Less regulation, more action to get Europe and Germany fit again STIHL chief: Time for reforms — this is how we retain prosperity and the welfare state Albania's PM Edi Rama: Is Europe ready for its next Helmut Kohl moment? Euroviews The Gaza Strip Sudan Ukraine Education Nepal Comments