The United States has awarded $4.6 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the four-year Safer Schools Program in Pakistan.
The program aims to ensure children affected by humanitarian crises have access to a quality education by making schools safe from all forms of disasters—natural or man-made, according to press release issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad. It comes on the heels of the horrendous massacre of school children in Peshawar by Taliban terrorists.
“Assistance provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will increase resilience in affected communities and build the capacity of children, teachers, and parents to prevent, reduce, and cope with challenging situations that impact children’s education”, stated the release.
With USAID funding, UNICEF will manage educational services for 53,000 children displaced from North Waziristan. Over 10,000 children, nearly half of whom are girls, have already been identified and enrolled in Temporary Learning Centers and established host communities.
