UN launches appeal to give South Sudanese children access to education

Education continues to be a major concern for authorities in the world’s newest country, South Sudan.

Approximately 1.8 million children have no access to schools in the East African country.

The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has thus launched an appeal for funds to help the South Sudanese government address this problem.

Tizié Maphalala, a UNICEF education specialist said “to provide access to learning opportunities for more than half a million children and adolescents between the ages of three and eighteen, UNICEF and its partners will require about 75 million dollars” .

Poverty and war, which have ravaged the country since 2013, are the main factors hampering access to education in South Sudan.

The areas affected by the crisis are also a priority for the United Nations Children’s Fund.

“The funds will be used to provide learning facilities and education materials to the newly enrolled children and also continue to provide educational services to children in conflict affected areas,” Tizié Maphalala said.

Only one out of ten children are able to complete their primary education in South Sudan.

UNICEF’s appeal comes at a time when the government has launched a back to school campaign to create awareness about the importance of education.