Global Partnership for Education contributes additional $2.9 million to bolster basic education in Puntland

Garowe, Puntland, Somalia 11 November 2020 – Through an additional $2.9 million grant to UNICEF Somalia, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has renewed its commitment to enhancing access and improving the quality of basic education for crisis-affected children in Puntland.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the new funding will play an integral part in supporting the Puntland Ministry of Education, UNICEF and partners to increase equitable access to education, improve the quality of education and strengthen education management systems in Puntland. The new $2.9 million contribution brings GPE’s funding to Puntland to a total of $13 million for 2020, including $8.8 million to support the education sector and $1.3 million for COVID-19 response in the state.

“GPE’s support for educating children in Puntland is more critical now than ever before,” said Alice Albright, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education. “Families, schools and governments are struggling to cope with the impact of the pandemic. This funding will help get more children in school and learning.”

“The continued support from the Global Partnership for Education has provided us an extraordinary opportunity to safeguard our children, particularly the most vulnerable ones, and give them a chance to learn,” said Bashir Jama Mohamed, Acting Minister and Vice Minister of Puntland Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

The additional allocation is designed to support 22,500 vulnerable girls and boys affected by crisis. This assistance will complement ongoing work and provide basic education in areas affected by food insecurity and drought, where schooling has been severely disrupted, and children’s nutritional status is poor.

The funds will help the Puntland Ministry of Education, UNICEF and partners to improve learning conditions in the schools, train teachers and mobilize, enrol and retain children in school. They will also support the Ministry in strengthening schools’ leadership and community capacity to make schools safer for girls and boys, including children with disabilities.

“Every girl and boy, everywhere, has the right to attend school and learn,” said Jesper Moller, UNICEF Somalia Representative a.i. “This new funding will not only help to give more children the opportunity to go to school but also equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.”

Link to the original press release.