UN envoy calls for doubling funding for kids in emergencies

The U.N. special envoy for global education is calling for a doubling of funding for education for youngsters who are refugees and caught in humanitarian emergencies.

Gordon Brown said at a news conference Wednesday that the number of children trapped in humanitarian crises is now estimated at 70 million and that the number is expected to grow in 2018.

He said of the 70 million children, around 30 million have experienced violence or abuse. He said children in conflict-affected countries are half as likely to complete even the early years of secondary school.

Brown said education has received more funding than ever in 2017 — over $700 million for refugees and humanitarian emergencies — but about $1.4 billion is needed to ensure that these children can go to school.