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As children around the world prepare to head back to school the unprecedented number of ongoing emergencies are devastating education systems for millions of children.

About 58 million children are currently out of school and half of those are missing out because of conflict. Twenty years ago, UNICEF launched the Back-to-School campaign to provide normalcy, a safe environment and a chance at a better future for children affected by conflict and natural disasters.

UNICEF’s Back-to-School campaign was introduced in 1994 in response to the Rwandan genocide that robbed millions of children of their right to education and a chance at a better life. Since then, the campaign has expanded to 55 countries, facilitating access to protective learning environments in the aftermath of conflicts and natural disasters.

Under the No Lost Generation umbrella, UNICEF and partners are working to expand access to learning and psychosocial support, strengthening social cohesion and peacebuilding efforts, and restoring hope for the future for millions of Syrian children.

Mr. Fisher of UNICEF, who helped set up the first campaign in Rwanda and is currently the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, emphasised the importance of education being part of the first response in humanitarian crises and pointed out that getting children back to school, especially during emergencies, is not just about learning. “It took a long time and frankly still today a few say that education is not important and we need to get on with life saving. My response is always ‘yes, but for what kind of life, what kind of future?’” he said.

“I found in 30 years of working in crisis situations and conflict when you ask parents what do they want, they never say food, they never say shelter, they never say health care. They say we want education for our kids because our present might be gone but their future should not be harmed,”