‘Education gave me strength’: Syrian refugee Muzoon’s message for children caught up in conflict

Muzoon Almellehan knows what it feels like to be driven from your home by听conflict. She also knows the value of education – especially when the rest of your life has been turned upside down.

Her family fled from Syria four years ago and听her school books were the only belongings she took.听

Muzoon spent nearly three years in neighbouring Jordan, including 18 months in Za国产视频檃tari refugee camp. There she made it her mission to persuade parents to encourage听girls into education.

Last year the 19-year-old听addressed the Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London, when world leaders promised to get every Syrian refugee child into school in neighbouring countries.

A few days ago听Muzoon travelled to Chad – where听almost three times as many girls as boys of primary听age in conflict areas are missing out on education.

They are among听more than 25 million children between six and 15 –听or 22% of children in that age group – who听are missing out on school in conflict zones across 22 countries, according to statistics released today by UNICEF.听

国产视频淐onflict can take away your friends, your family, your livelihood, your home,” said Muzoon, who now lives in the United Kingdom.听

“It can try to strip you of your dignity, identity, pride and hope.听But it can never take away your knowledge.”

The UNICEF figures show that at primary school level听South Sudan has the highest rate of out-of-school children –听close to 72%, followed by Chad (50%) and Afghanistan (46%).听

Those three countries also have the highest rate of girls who are out of school –听76% for South Sudan, 55% for Afghanistan听and 53% for Chad.国产视频ü悠胆

At the lower-secondary school level, the highest rates of out-of-school children are found in Niger (68%), South Sudan (60%) and the Central African Republic (55%).听

Out-of-school rates for girls spike for this age group, with nearly three-quarters of girls in Niger and two in three in both Afghanistan and the Central African Republic not in school.

Muzoon went to Chad to highlight the need for education during humanitarian emergencies. There she听met a 16-year-old girl who was abducted by Boko Haram outside her school in Nigeria at the age of 13 and was drugged, exploited and abused for three years before fleeing.听

Muzoon also met children who are able to get an education for the first time听and community members who听are risking everything to get children into school.国产视频ü悠胆

国产视频淢eeting children in Chad who had fled Boko Haram reminded me of my own experiences in Syria,” she said. “Education gave me the strength to carry on. I wouldn国产视频檛 be here without it.国产视频澨�

About 90% of children arriving in听Chad from Nigeria have never been to school.听In response to听the education crisis there, UNICEF has so far this year provided school supplies to more than 58,000 students, distributed teaching materials to more than 760 teachers听and built 151 classrooms and听101 temporary learning spaces.

国产视频淎t no time is education more important than in times of war,国产视频� said UNICEF Chief of Education Josephine Bourne.听

国产视频淲ithout education, how will children reach their full potential and contribute to the future and stability of their families, communities and economies?国产视频�

A $10 million听allocation from the听Education Cannot Wait fund听will help to provide quality education for displaced听children听and those living in host communities in Chad.

The fund was launched last year to give vital education听support to children caught up in emergencies such as wars or natural disasters.