UNICEF to grant $18 million in education funding for schoolchildren affected by war in Ukraine

Ukraine will receive $18 million from Education Cannot Wait, a UNICEF-backed fund, to provide educational support to children affected by the war, Ukraine's Education Minister Oksen Lisovyi announced in a signing ceremony at the United Nations in New York on March 12.

Report informs, citing the Kyiv Independent, that the grant, administered by the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF), will indirectly support 150,000 children while providing funding to train teachers, expand digital learning initiatives, and provide alternative education opportunities.

According to Ukraine's Education Ministry, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, over 3,500 education institutions have been damaged, including more than 340 destroyed.

Restoration work is ongoing across the country, with an added focus on installing modular shelters to protect against Russian air raids.

The grant funding will be delivered by the Kyiv School of Economics Institute and Finn Church Aid, in collaboration with Ukraine's Ministry of Education and national organizations.

Germany and Japan were the leading contributors to the pooled funding, providing a combined $13.9 million in aid funding.

The UNICEF fund has provided $24.5 million to support education investments in Ukraine.