As part of World Children's Day, UNICEF and UNESCO urge State institutions as well as all political, social and economic actors to work together to allow the immediate resumption of normal activities in all public and private schools in Haiti.

Let's recall that since the beginning of September, political unrest, road blockages and rising violence in Haiti have significantly reduced access to basic social services, including schools and universities.

According to the Ministry of National Education, 70% of schools in Haiti are closed, which means that more than three million children are out of school and have not been able to start or continue their education, to which are added more than 500,000 Haitian children aged 5 to 18 who are outside the school system.

50 days (26%) of a total of 189 planned days have already been lost, creating a significant learning deficit for students. Note that the Ministry, in consultation with the stakeholders concerned, is working on a modified catch-up plan and a new school calendar, which should be proposed very soon to schools to recover 250 hours of lost classes, out of the 945 that count the school year.

UNICEF and UNESCO recall that "Education is a right and one of the most powerful tools that enable excluded and socially and economically excluded children and adults to overcome poverty and participate fully in society. If all adults completed secondary school, the number of people affected by poverty in the world could be halved or even more..."

HL/ HaitiLibre