The UK will provide £80 million to Education Cannot Wait, the UN's global fund for education in emergencies, for the period from 2027 to 2030.

International Development Minister Kirsty McNeill announced the pledge at the fund's replenishment conference in Geneva on 5 November. The money will support schooling for children whose education has been disrupted by conflict, displacement, disasters and other emergencies.

McNeill said 258 million school-age children are affected by crisis around the world. Education Cannot Wait finances education programmes in emergencies and protracted crises, and the UK is one of its founding donors.

Part of a wider funding round

The pledge was made as donors committed more than $400 million to the fund at the Geneva event, reaching over 90 per cent of its $600 million target for the 2027–2030 plan. Germany, Britain, Norway and Switzerland were among the countries praised for their contributions, while the United States — a past donor — did not pledge at this round.

The fund's new strategic plan will focus on 10 million children, including those in conflict-hit states such as Sudan and Ukraine.

What the money is for

The government has not set out in the announcement how the £80 million will be divided between individual countries or programmes. The pledge is distinct from the UK's previously announced contribution to the Global Partnership for Education, which focuses on strengthening education systems in lower-income countries rather than education in emergencies.

The UK previously committed £80 million to Education Cannot Wait for 2023 to 2026, making it the fund's second-largest donor after Germany.

[Source: gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/international-development-minister-speech-at-education-cannot-wait-replenishment-conference) | [Source: labourhome.co.uk](https://www.labourhome.co.uk/kirsty_mcneill_commits_80m_to_keep_children_learning_through_conflict_and_crisis)