Helping Children Get Back to School in War-Torn Ethiopia
UNICEF is rebuilding schools in Ethiopia so children can get back to learning. More help is needed.
Childhoods disrupted by conflict in Ethiopia
Loco was a fourth grader in East Borena, Oromia Region, southern Ethiopia, when conflict broke out in 2022. Her school was destroyed; windows were smashed, furniture and equipment ruined. More than 800 students had their studies interrupted.
Loco's family fled and resettled elsewhere. She and her former classmates spent their days cutting wood, fetching water and herding cattle. Years passed. No one knew if school would ever begin again.
Then UNICEF stepped in, working with partners to rebuild Loco's school and get children back to learning.
Video: A second chance at education
Back to class with hope and dignity
"UNICEF built four classrooms and renovated four others," says school principal Doyo Sora. "It also constructed separate latrines for boys and girls. With desks and school materials provided, teaching and learning have resumed as well." UNICEF also built a room where girls can manage their menstrual hygiene with dignity, so they won't have to stay home from school when they have their periods.
Today, students are back in class, studying hard so they can pursue their dreams. Loco is preparing for the grade 8 national exam and plans to become a doctor. "Because in our area there are very few health professionals, I want to support and serve my community," she says.
Learn more about UNICEF's work for children in Ethiopia
Progress is fragile: hard-won gains must be protected
Millions of children in Ethiopia have been out of school for years due to conflict, flooding and windstorms. Meanwhile, hostilities have escalated recently in the north, threatening the lives and educations of still more children.
“Children have already suffered too much. They cannot be exposed to another period of violence and insecurity," Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, said in a statement issued Oct. 1, 2026. “Communities across northern Ethiopia have worked hard to rebuild schools, health services, water systems and other opportunities for children. These hard-won gains should be protected."
"Above all," Kadilli said, "children and families in Ethiopia need safety and stability so they can build a better future.”
Education is more than learning; it’s hope, stability and a pathway to a better future. UNICEF will continue to help children who are out of school in Ethiopia — and around the world — return to the classroom, recover lost learning opportunities and reach their full potential.
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Learn more about how UNICEF supports children's education
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
