According to a study by the Global Coalition for Protecting Education from Attack, of which UNESCO is a member, 6,000 attacks against students, professionals and educational institutions, including 1,000 cases of military use of these institutions, were recorded worldwide in 2022-2023 - an average of 8 per day. This represents a 20% increase on the previous two years. More than 10,000 students and educators are believed to have been victims.
While these attacks on education affect all regions of the world, they are much more frequent in countries currently experiencing armed conflict, foremost among them Myanmar, the Middle East and Gaza in particular, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen.
As the United Nations agency responsible for education, UNESCO reminds all parties involved in these conflicts that they should comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2601, and calls on all states to implement the recommendations of the Safe Schools Declaration designed to prevent such attacks.
UNESCO works to provide psychosocial support for pupils and teachers confronted with violent phenomena, notably in Palestine, Sudan and Ukraine. To ensure continuity of learning when a school is closed for security reasons, the Organization also provides alternative education solutions such as distance-learning, by training teachers in digital pedagogies and facilitating the production and dissemination of educational content through the media.
The Organization also works with its partners to improve data collection on attacks on education, to facilitate systematic prevention.
About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" - UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
