The role of education in the lives of young displaced adolescents in Darfur, Sudan

Safaa El-Kogali, Population Council
Cynthia B. Lloyd, Population Council
Ali Rashed, Population Council
Johanna Rankin, Population Council

There is little empirical evidence documenting the extent of education during emergencies, its quality, or its effects on children. Despite this lack of information, there is growing interest in education for children of conflict. This is not only because a major share of the out-of school children which the development community is trying to reach to fulfill the goals of Education for All (EFA) live in conflict-affected environments, but also because humanitarians increasingly see education as a critical component of child protection. The proposed paper will present findings from qualitative and quantitative fieldwork conducted in 2008 and early 2009 among the internally displaced (IDPs) in West and North Darfur to assess (1) the extent of existing educational resources for children in a range of IDP camps/settlements, (2) local views about problems and needs, and (3) links between the accessibility and quality of educational services and children’s health and educational outcomes.