Geneva: H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser yesterday visited the headquarters of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to discuss the progress in the education projects being undertaken by UNHCR with the support of Sheikha Moza’s Educate A Child (EAC) initiative.
In her first visit to the UNHCR headquarters, Sheikha Moza was welcomed by High Commissioner Antonio Guterres. Sheikha Moza discussed with UNHCR representatives some of the positive results of the initiative to support UNHCR’s education activities in refugee camps.
The initiative, launched in November 2012, resulted significant progress in helping children in difficult circumstances, including poverty and conflict, gain access to education. EAC is working with a number of partners, including UN agencies and local NGOs, and has already supported over half a million children.
The partnership between EAC and UNHCR benefited over 176,000 school children in 2012 in camps across Africa, Asia and the Middle East region. EAC support has helped with construction of classrooms and teacher accommodation, increased enrollment, teacher training and provision of textbooks and desks.
In addition, EAC support to UNHCR has provided a platform to discuss the situation of refugees in some countries and to advocate for quality education as a necessity along with food, housing, and health care.
Children affected by conflict and crisis are a long-standing priority for Sheikha Moza, who is a Unesco’s Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education, UN Advocate for the second Millennium Development Goal to achieve universal primary education, and a member of steering committee of Education First, set up by UN Secretary-General in September 2012. QNA
