KYIV/NEW YORK. 26 November 2019 - The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) welcomes the commitment of the Ukrainian Government to protect education during armed conflict, as Ukraine becomes the 100th country to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration.
The Safe Schools Declaration is a political commitment to better protect children, teachers and schools, to support the continuation of education during war and to put in place concrete measures to deter the military use of schools. The Declaration was opened for endorsement at the Oslo Conference on Safe Schools, convened by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 2015.
“Education is a right for every child. For children whose lives have been turned upside down by the chaos of armed conflict, schools should be zones of peace, a space where they can feel safe and protected. Unfortunately, far too often this is not the case’, said Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Ukraine Representative.
Since the beginning of the conflict, over 750 educational institutions on both sides of the contact line have been damaged by the hostilities and many more have experienced disruption to education. In the first ten months of 2019, 34 attacks were reported on schools in eastern Ukraine, which is twice as high as the total number of incidents in 2018.
“That 100 countries have now endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration is a positive milestone. But we need every country to commit to this cause, and to translate this commitment into action. Beyond endorsing the Declaration, governments and donors around the world should support education in emergencies to help keep children learning and protected,” Sylwander said.
UNICEF is working with partners across eastern Ukraine to provide support to educational facilities so that repairs can be made to damaged schools and kindergartens, and education supplies, such as educational kits, furniture and sport equipment, can be replaced. In addition, UNICEF and partners provide much-needed counselling, psychosocial support, and information on the risks of mines to hundreds of thousands of children, youth and caregivers affected by the conflict.
Media Contacts
Nina Sorokopud
Chief of Communication
UNICEF in Ukraine
Tel: +380503882951
Email: nsorokopud@unicef.org