Conflicts and disasters forcing 59 million young people into illiteracy – UNICEF study

PARIS. KAZINFORM Nearly three in ten young people between the ages of 15 and 24 living in conflict- or disaster-affected countries are illiterate, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday, calling for greater investments in the education, particularly for the most disadvantaged children and youth, WAM reports.

Globally, the number stands at 59 million.The situation is particularly dire for girls and young women in that age group, with 33 per cent of them in emergency countries failing to learn even the basics, compared to 24 per cent of boys.

"These numbers are a stark reminder of the tragic impact that crises have on children's education, their futures, and the stability and growth of their economies and societies," said Henrietta H. Fore, the Executive Director of UNICEF, in a news release announcing the findings.

"An uneducated child who grows into an illiterate youth in a country ripped apart by conflict or destroyed by disasters may not have much of a chance."

In its 2018 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal, launched on Tuesday, the UN agency called for $900 million for education in countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters. Some of its key interventions include accelerated education and non-formal learning opportunities, training teachers, rehabilitating schools and distributing school furniture and supplies