UN envoy reiterates call for educational fund for refugees

Visiting UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown Tuesday reiterated his call for the establishment of a "humanitarian fund for education in emergencies."

In a press release by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Brown said "Lebanon is hosting over a million Syrian refugees, over 400,000 of whom are children. We must ensure that an entire generation of children from Syria does not pay the price because their education is neglected."

He added "with just three months before the start of the new school year, we need the international community to provide support to the government so they can implement the agreed plan to provide education for refugees and vulnerable children in the country. We must act now before it is too late and hundreds of thousands of children lose hope."

The UN envoy met during his two-day visit to Lebanon with Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Minister of Education Elias Bou Saab and visited Syrian out of school youth and attended a youth rally.

Brown stressed "this is a test case for the international community now reeling from 19 million more displaced children and 7.5 million new child refugees worldwide."

"The international community must support children in Lebanon and around the world with a new Global Humanitarian Fund for Education in Emergencies," Brown said.

According to the UN Higher Commission for Refugees, Lebanon hosts more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees out of which are 50 percent women and children. Endit