Puntland Ministry of Education and Higher Education have hosted one-day Education in Emergency Conference in Garowe to highlight the plight of education amid severe drought, which has left 6.1 million people, of which 40% of them are school-aged children, in acute food shortage, in Somalia[i].

The conference, which was co-organized by the Education Cannot Wait Programme Consortium partners, which includes Save the Children, Care International and SIDRA, highlighted the importance of prioritizing education and learning during the response.

 According to Somalia Education Cluster, an estimated three million school[ii] aged Somali children are not going to schools while 720,000 [iii]more are at risk of dropping out.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education of Puntland, local actors, religious leaders, Academia, and the Civil Society have participated in the meeting.

Puntland has experienced major climate shocks, desert locusts, conflicts, cyclones and prolonged droughts, which have negatively impacted the education system.  

“Puntland is committed to ensure that every child receives basic education despite recurring crisis which are majorly caused by climate crisis. This requires collective commitment from the education stakeholders, including donors, local communities, and most importantly the government,” H.E Abdullahi Mohamed Hassan, has said.

In Puntland, at least 17 schools were closed due to the current droughts in Somalia, and at least 6000 [iv]children are at risk of dropping out of schools. The region has already been struggling with low enrollment.  According to education to a policy brief by Save the Children, and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, 57.2% of children are enrolled into primary schools in Puntland, the secondary school enrollment rate is just 13%, with 17.2% for boys and 9.7% for girls.

“Based on the statistics, the situation is alarming. The evidence shows us that we need to act and come up with solutions to the current situation. It's also an opportunity for all of us to think about how we can prioritize education and put it at the top of our agenda in the face of a severe drought that has already affected millions of children in Puntland and Somalia.”  Mohamed Abdulkadir, Save the Children Area Representative.

About Education Cannot Wait Programme

The Education Cannot Wait (ECW) MYRP Program for Puntland is a comprehensive new multi-year resilience education programme framework. The overall aim of this project is to improve school access and safety and educational attainment for Somali girls and boys affected by conflicts and droughts, contributing to resilience building within an increasingly peaceful, secure and democratic environment.

The ECW MYRP was designed to respond to existing gaps and needs in multiple regions of the Puntland State of Somalia. Since its launch, the programme has facilitated access to learning opportunities for 18,027 learners, including host communities, returnees and IDPs enrolled in 51 schools across Puntland.