Letter to the UN Special Envoy Romano Prodi on the Crisis in Sahel

UN Special Envoy for Sahel Romano Prodi is asked to emphasise the key role that education can play in building resilience of vulnerable children and communities in this region and address how to incorporate it into current national and regional strategies for the Sahel. In this letter signed by INEE Director Lori Heninger, it appeals for Mr. Prodi to:

• Promote education as an essential vehicle to deliver resilience messaging and programming by both aid agencies and governments in the Sahel;
• Ensure strategies to improve resilience in the Sahel are informed by education experts together with agriculture, nutrition, and DRR experts to ensure education's vital role in building resilience of children and communities is considered in forthcoming discussions and factored in to regional strategies; and
• Ensure that education is incorporated into all future humanitarian needs assessments and is fully funded in drought-affected regions of the Sahel.