Nearly 6 million refugee children denied schooling, UN warns

A senior UN official has warned that slashed education budgets are creating a crisis for refugee children globally, with nearly six million youngsters unable to access schooling. The funding constraints are reversing hard-won gains achieved over many years in expanding educational access for displaced populations, according to the UN refugee agency.

UN Refugee Chief Barham Salih emphasised that the education cuts pose a significant threat to the futures of young people in refugee communities. The reduction in financial support is hampering efforts to provide learning opportunities at a time when displaced children already face multiple barriers to schooling, including poverty, displacement trauma, and limited infrastructure in host countries.

The situation underscores the broader challenges facing education systems in regions hosting large refugee populations, particularly in South and Southeast Asia where displacement pressures remain acute. Without adequate funding, refugee children risk falling further behind their peers educationally, with long-term consequences for their economic prospects and social integration.

The UN agency has called on governments and international donors to prioritise education funding for refugee populations as part of broader commitments to sustainable development and humanitarian assistance. Officials warn that underinvestment now could translate into greater social and economic costs in years to come.