Reduced UN Funding Puts Education for Rwanda's Refugee Children at Risk

UNHCR's $90.5 million funding deficit impacts over 100,000 refugee households in Rwanda, with 553 schoolchildren unable to attend boarding schools and monthly food cash transfers reduced.

• The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has announced funding cuts of $90.5 million, which impacts the education, food, shelter, and health care provisions for over 100,000 refugee households in Rwanda.
• As a direct consequence of the funding cuts, 553 refugee children who were qualified to attend boarding schools this year will not be able to do so.
• The termly school fees for boarding schools in Rwanda is $80 per student, a cost that was previously covered by the UNHCR for these children.
• Besides education, the funding cuts have also impacted the food provisions for the refugees, with monthly food cash transfers reducing down to $3 per refugee from $5 per month previously.
• The impact on education is further compounding the existing issue in the region, which saw 1.11 million of 2.17 million refugee children being out of school in 2022.

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