Solidarity with Refugees Begins with Education

June 20, 2025

By Mohamud Hure

This World Refugee Day 2025, under the theme of “Solidarity With Refugees”, we are reminded that solidarity is not only about compassion—it is about shared responsibility, equity, and human dignity. Today, more children than ever have been forced to flee their homes. Yet, while the need for support is growing, the resources to meet this need are not. Solidarity must be more than a statement - it must lead to action that protects children, restores opportunity, and strengthens the resilience of families and communities. 

The Impact On Refugees

By the end of 2024, the number of people forcibly displaced from their homes surged to 123.2 million, including 42.7 million refugees, with over half being children. Many have known only life in exile—years, even decades, growing up in unfamiliar lands without certainty, and often without access to education. While the need for support grows, international funding for education in crisis settings continues to lag behind.

Nowhere is this gap more visible than in refugee education. Of the estimated 14.8 million refugee children of school age, nearly half remain out of school. Only 65% are enrolled in primary education. These figures drop to 41% at the secondary level and plummet to just 7% in higher education. These are not just statistics—they are lost years of learning and lost chances for children to shape their futures.

The barriers are stark and multi-faceted: insecurity, displacement, poverty, legal and language challenges, gender inequality, and under-resourced education systems in host countries already stretched to their limits. Refugee children often endure long walks to school, overcrowded classrooms, and a shortage of trained teachers or safe learning environments. For girls, the risks of early marriage, exploitation, or having to care for family members add another layer of complexity and exclusion. 

International Frameworks In Action

Yet, the international community has not been without frameworks to act. The Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) calls for equitable responsibility-sharing and meaningful support to host countries. The Global Refugee Forum (GRF) education pledges and commitments from the Transforming Education Summit reaffirm that inclusive, quality education for refugees is not a luxury—it is a foundational pillar for peace, development, and recovery.

Education is where solidarity becomes real. It is where displaced children find safety, structure, and the chance to dream again. It enables young people to rebuild confidence, develop skills, foster a sense of belonging, and connect to the communities where they live. Education builds bridges—- between loss and opportunity, and more importantly, between crisis and contribution.

But solidarity must also recognise that host countries—many of which are low- and lower-middle-income nations—cannot carry this responsibility alone. They need predictable, long-term support to integrate refugee children into national systems, enhance infrastructure, and ensure quality education for all.

If we are serious about our commitments to children and youth in need, then education must remain at the centre of our response. It is one of the most powerful, lasting, and dignified ways to stand with refugees, not just on this day, but every day.



A Decade of Commitment and Impact

For over 12 years, Education Above All (EAA) Foundation’s global Educate A Child (EAC) programme has worked to remove barriers to education for the world’s most marginalised children, including those displaced by conflict and disaster.

Since 2012, EAC has partnered with a diverse group of organisations—including UN agencies, development banks, International and local organisations —to reach out of school children (OOSC), including refugee and internally displaced children across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. 

Through inclusive programming and strategic co-funding, EAC and its partners have enrolled more than 14.5 million out of school children into quality primary education. Of these, over 4.4 million have been reached through refugee related projects — many of whom are displaced themselves, while others face similar barriers linked to crisis, instability, or host community vulnerabilities. These efforts span more than 20 countries—from those hosting large refugee populations, such as Bangladesh, Uganda, Kenya and Pakistan, to fragile settings such as Yemen, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria. 

This is what solidarity looks like in action. But it also shows just how much more is needed to reach every child.