In 2026, an estimated 239 million people will require urgent humanitarian assistance around the world, as communities face the combined effects of conflict, displacement and other crises1. As humanitarian needs grow, aid workers are increasingly required to operate in complex, dangerous and protracted emergencies, often with limited resources and in rapidly changing circumstances.

At READ Foundation, our Education in Emergencies (EiE) programmes are designed to provide this support in some of the most challenging environments. Behind each programme are aid workers coordinating with teachers, communities and local partners to establish and maintain learning opportunities for children whose education has been disrupted. 

This work is particularly challenging in Gaza, where READ is managing 16 Temporary Learning Spaces for children affected by the ongoing crisis. Coordinating education in this environment requires teams to continually adapt to changing circumstances while working with teachers and communities to provide learning, trauma-sensitive pedagogy and psychosocial support. The learning spaces offer children an opportunity to continue their education and spend time with their peers despite the wider disruption to their lives. 

In Lebanon, READ’s School in a Bus programme operates within a humanitarian context shaped by conflict, inflation and mass displacement, bringing mobile education to refugee communities where children may face significant barriers to accessing formal education. The programme relies on collaboration between humanitarian teams, teachers and the communities they serve to provide children with a consistent learning environment during prolonged displacement. 

For an EiE project to run successfully, humanitarian teams rely on the knowledge and experience of the people working within the communities they support. Teachers are familiar with their students and the challenges they are facing, while families and community members can provide a clearer understanding of changing needs on the ground. 

For children experiencing prolonged crisis, maintaining a sense of routine and continuity matters. Education cannot remove the circumstances that have caused the crisis, but it can help preserve some of the structures and relationships that support children’s wellbeing and development when they need it most. 

This World Humanitarian Day, we recognise the people working across the humanitarian sector to support communities affected by crisis, including those delivering education and other essential services to children. Their collaboration helps ensure that children affected by crisis continue to have access to education, support and the foundations they need to keep learning and developing.