‘I have not lost my dreams’: Refugee education funding cuts threaten millions

Refugee children in Malaysia can continue their studies, with support from UN partner JREC.

A teenage girl who fled war-torn Sudan for neighbouring Egypt and hopes to pursue a technology degree is an example of why countries must ensure that young refugees can continue to learn.

“When we left Sudan, I was worried that my education would stop,” said Jamila Mostafa, 19, one of the estimated 13.1 million refugee children of school age worldwide in 2025.

Yet nearly half – 5.8 million – remain out of school as funding cuts threaten to roll back years of progress in educating children and adolescents forced to flee their homelands due to war, conflict, violence or persecution.

The warning comes in a new report by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR .

“At a time of severe pressure on humanitarian and development financing, cuts to education risk reversing decades of collective investment and closing opportunities for a generation of young people,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, a former refugee from Iraq.

The transition to secondary education remains one of the biggest challenges for refugee children, according to the report. Only 32 per cent were enrolled in high school in 2025, compared to 65 per cent at the primary level.

本文の著作権はUN Newsにあります。