Launch of the “SPEED” Project to Support Emergency Primary Education in Sudan with UNICEF and WB Support

Professor Hashim Ali Issa, Director of the Education Sector in Red Sea State and Acting Minister, launched the “SPEED: Supporting Emergency Primary Education in Sudan” project this morning at the Al-Rabwa Hotel. The project targets primary school-aged children in crisis-affected states.

The project is a joint initiative between the state’s Ministry of Education and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and aims to support the international partnership for education through a grant from the World Bank.

The project focuses on supporting children whose education has been affected by crises and conflicts, by ensuring the continuity of the educational process in areas hosting internally displaced persons and affected by the current situation. The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Education, with technical and logistical support from UNICEF.

Statements from Officials

Professor Hashim Ali Issa stated that UNICEF has consistently provided support to the Ministry of Education, along with other organizations working in the field, which has contributed to the continuation of the educational process in the state despite the conversion of a large number of schools into shelters.

He added that girls’ schools were designated for alternating attendance: one day for girls and one day for boys, with Saturday classes canceled, while boys’ schools were designated as shelters.

He added that UNICEF contributed to school maintenance and supported the return to education during the past period, noting that Red Sea State received thousands of displaced people from war-affected states and opened schools for them since the beginning of the crisis, with 83 schools being converted into shelters. As conditions improved, the number of schools used for shelter decreased, allowing for the gradual resumption of education.

UNICEF called for continued support for the rehabilitation and maintenance of damaged schools, especially infrastructure and school facilities that were damaged as a result of being used as residential centers, stressing the urgent need for their maintenance to ensure the continuity of education and the importance of involving the local community and international organizations in these efforts.

UNICEF Support and Project Expansion

For her part, Mai Al-Tayeb Youssef, UNICEF Representative in Red Sea State, described the project as a strong partnership between UNICEF and the Ministries of Education (both state and federal), funded by the World Bank. She explained that the project It provides services to 141 schools in the state and supports more than 66 schools in the localities of Sinkat, Suakin, Haya, Derdeib, and Agig, in addition to introducing e-learning in five localities.

May emphasized that UNICEF supports education projects throughout Sudan, noting that Red Sea State hosted more than 250,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) during the war, and that more than two million IDPs were enrolled in shelters and boarding schools.

In the same context, Daniel Paquita, Director of Analysis at the UNICEF Sudan office, stated that more than 41 million people in Sudan are in need of education, including four million within the UNICEF support plan in Red Sea State, in addition to supporting eight million students in other states.

Key Project Components:

Creating a Learning Environment:

Establishing and equipping temporary classrooms (such as tents) and providing basic educational materials.

Human Resources Development:

Training teachers on the Education in Emergencies (EiE) manual to address educational and psychological challenges.

Psychosocial Support:

Providing Specialized support for children through activities such as play and drawing.

Community Engagement:

Formation of local education committees to monitor project implementation and support the educational process.

Expected Outcomes:

Improved access to education and ensuring the right of affected children to continue their studies.

Strengthening the education system’s capacity to respond quickly and effectively to crises.

Raising awareness within the local community about the importance of education and its vital role, even in the most challenging circumstances.