Leading charity says UK aid cuts will close down hundreds more Syrian schools
May 5, 2022, 2:14 pm

Leading charity says UK aid cuts will close down hundreds more Syrian schools

Westminster Bridge in London, England (File photo: Pixabay)

The Arab News reported, a leading charity has warned that British aid cuts will lead to the closure of hundreds more Syrian schools, with 40,000 children already having fallen out of education as a result of the move.

UK funding for 133 schools run by Syria Relief ended on April 30 as the government “rushed” through a £4.2 billion ($5.3 billion) cut in foreign aid spending that slashed Britain’s total commitment from 0.7 to 0.5 percent of gross national income.

Jessica Adams, head of communications for the charity, told The Guardian: “If funds are not found the plug the gap, a generation of children in northern Syria will be out of school."

“This will lead to a close-to-immediate rise in child labour, child marriage, early pregnancies, child conscription to military and armed groups, and child exploitation and trafficking.

UK funding for 133 schools run by Syria Relief ended on April 30. (File/AFP)

“This was a political choice we, children, parents and teachers hope desperately will be reversed.”

Syria Relief had been the largest non-government provider of schools in the country, at one point operating 306 schools.

But donors have reduced their spend or shifted their focus to Ukraine, leaving the charity with just 24 remaining schools supporting 3,600 children.

UK promises further $375 million in military aid for Ukraine

UK cuts hit Syria hard, removing 69 percent of aid, which the charity said would push more girls into early marriages rather than Britain’s “stated goal” of helping them into school.

Abu Halid, whose children are at school in Mahmoodli displacement camp in northern Syria, told The Guardian: “If this school closes, we’ll have to send them to schools that ask for money, but we don’t have money, not even for rent, so we need the school to stay open.”

Syria Relief said camp schools are overcrowded, lack electricity or heating, and already-high rates of child labor and early marriages will increase with more school closures.

UK announces new £25 million aid package for Somalia to support almost 1m people

Joyce Msuya, assistant secretary-general for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council last week that an estimated 14.6 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian aid, with 2.4 million children out of school in the country.

She added: “Unless we significantly scale up our support, even more are at risk of dropping out. Rapid and substantial investments are now required to help us break the vicious cycle.”

Source: arabnews

Sweden says it received US security assurances if it hands in NATO application Pope Francis uses wheelchair in public for first time since knee pain flare-up

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.