Doha, Qatar: The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, a global education and development organisation, joined the international community in marking the United Nations International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
This year’s observance comes amid a worsening global education crisis. As of early 2025, 85 million children affected by wars, armed conflict, and emergencies are entirely out of school — a staggering rise from the 72 million reported in 2023. Among these children, 52% are girls, over 20% are children with disabilities (more than 17 million), and approximately 17% (15 million) are forcibly displaced, either as refugees or internally displaced persons.
This educational catastrophe is not confined to a few regions — nearly half of all these out of school children are found in just five protracted crisis zones: Sudan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Pakistan. The deliberate targeting and disruption of education systems, from bombing schools to displacing families, are not only violating children’s rights but also inflicting enduring damage on societal stability. Without urgent investment in education, these lost years will echo through generations, undermining peace, resilience, and the future of affected communities.
At the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the EAA Foundation and QatarDebate hosted a special Youth Hub dialogue in Geneva under the theme “Words Uniting Worlds: Action for Education.” The session opened with remarks by National Human Rights Committee Chairperson H E Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, and Nada Al Nashif, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, alongside Patricia Danzi, a senior Swiss official.
Moderated by Jennifer Vaughan, spokesperson for the UN Special Envoy for Syria, the dialogue featured youth advocates Noor Al Thani and Ahmad Al Naimi from QatarDebate, as well as Randa Al-Dawoudi and Manveer Singh Sandhu from the EAA-OHCHR Youth Rights Academy. The discussion highlighted how young people worldwide are confronting the growing threats to education in conflict-affected contexts and calling for stronger global accountability to safeguard the right to learn.
The EAA Foundation also unveiled “Reshaping Action”, a powerful multi-format exhibition that confronts the devastating impact of war on education. Through striking photojournalism, immersive installations, and reflective art, the exhibition highlighted the resilience of children and teachers striving to learn amid bombed schools in Gaza and Sudan, underground lessons in Ukraine, and makeshift classrooms in Rohingya refugee camps. More than a showcase of images, Reshaping Action served as a global call to defend the right to learn.
The UN International Day to Protect Education from Attack was established through a resolution spearheaded by Qatar and H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2020.
