Minister for Development Svenja Schulze: “Most people who are forced to flee their home countries seek refuge in their own countries or in neighboring countries where they have little resources. This also applies to children. Children on the run, in particular, depend on their right to education to be realized. If they can access kindergartens and schools in the host community, it is not only good for them, but also for the development of society as a whole. At the same time, most host communities cannot meet this challenge alone. That is why we support them. In a way that benefits refugee children while also benefiting the local population.”
A record 120 million people have fled the world recently, and 50 million of them are children. More than half of these children are not in school. The situation of girls at risk and refugees is particularly difficult. Around 75% of refugees are hosted in low- or middle-income countries, and 21% are even hosted in the least developed countries. This often stretches the education systems of host countries to their limits. But even wealthy countries like Germany struggle to provide schools for all refugee children.
that BMZ We pursue an integrated structure-building approach that supports host countries to build and expand their education systems, benefiting refugees, returnees and host communities equally. Education is a focus of the Special Plan for “Refugees and Host Countries.” BMZ. Since 2014, we have supported more than 5 million children and young people to exercise their right to education.
One example of this is support for Jordan, which has taken in a particularly large number of refugees relative to its population.