AMOUNT: EUR 11 000 000
0. MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP
The on-going Ebola epidemic has not only cost thousands of lives and put tremendous stress on health systems, it has also had a negative impact on society and the social structures at large in the three most affected countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. UNICEF estimates that at least 5 million children aged between 3 and 17 have been out of school due to Ebola, and the outbreak is threatening to reverse years of education progress.1 This is critical, not only do children miss out on their education, but also on lifesaving items and health messages that can be passed on to children while at school. Schools also serve as a safe place where children are accounted for and protected from risks such as trafficking and child labor. Education can also provide necessary psychosocial support and restore a certain sense of normality. An increasing number of girls and boys have also lost their parents due to Ebola and another key concern is that, in the affected countries, communal responsibility for children has weakened, or even disappeared. Ebola orphans are being stigmatized, discriminated against and threatened by their communities and many are forced to leave and fend for themselves. For these children education can play a critical role in helping to tackle discrimination and stigmatization.
Providing education in the countries affected by Ebola will also strengthen the resilience of the population for future health crises. Education will help ensure that people are better equipped to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe.
Considering the Ebola outbreak's devastating impact on education and child protection in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia described above, an amount of EUR 1 000 000 has been added to the current HIP from the operational reserve. This additional contribution will be used to ensure that children affected by the Ebola outbreak will receive education through the EU Children for Peace initiative. In areas were schools remain closed the additional funding can be used to provide: alternative sources of education; train teachers in Ebola prevention.
The funding can also be used to support the re-opening of schools (including through providing catch-up classes for example) and support WASH in schools. Special attention should also be given to the provision of psychosocial support to affected children and especially to assist the Ebola orphans and prevent the stigmatization of child victims of Ebola