[Blog series] Beyond Aid: What’s Next for Education in Emergencies?

With global crises on the rise and traditional donor funding shrinking, it’s more important than ever to rethink how we support education in emergencies (EiE). Within INEE's Beyond Aid: What's Next for EiE Initiative, this collection of blogs is an effort by INEE to reimagine the education sector as one that is led by local actors, who are less reliant on traditional donors, and offer a fresh perspective of what EiE can look like in practice. 

Scroll through the collection of blogs below and click to learn more.

• Reimagining Education in Emergencies: A conversation between Helena Murseli and Faiza Hassan, 26 March, 2025. In this conversation, Helena Murseli, UNICEF’s Global Senior Education Advisor, and Faiza Hassan, Director of INEE, reflect on the future of EiE and explore how the sector can shift from reactive programming to long-term, sustainable, equity-driven solutions that are part of national education systems. 
• Tax Justice and Education Financing Reform: A conversation between David Archer and Faiza Hassan, 3 April, 2025. In this conversation, David Archer, ActionAid’s Head of Programmes and Influencing, and Faiza Hassan reflect on the role of education financing, tax reform, and tax and debt justice in building more sustainable, equitable education systems, especially in crisis-affected and low-income contexts.
• Education as Peacebuilding: The Hidden Key to Our Global Humanitarian Reset, 9 April 2025. In this blog, Kassaga James Arinaitwe, Senior Director of Emerging Leaders & Public Engagement at Teach For All and Co-founder of Teach For Uganda, shares his insights from the 2025 Humanitarian Leadership Conference - a moment that urged us not to simply reform the humanitarian system, but to reset it entirely.
• Video series: What is your vision for the future of Education in Emergencies? 8 May, 2025. In this series of short videos, education, child protection, and humanitarian stakeholders share their hopes and aspirations for a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable sector.
• Education as Peacebuilding: The Hidden Key to Our Global Humanitarian Reset, 9 May, 2025. The call from the 2025 Humanitarian Leadership Conference was clear: we cannot solve today’s complex challenges using yesterday’s models. We need new systems, new partnerships, and new power dynamics. We need to shift from extraction to empathy. From control to trust, and from isolationism to solidarity.
• In Their Own Words: Teachers, Learners, and Practitioners on the Realities of Education in Emergencies, 12 May, 2025. INEE asked our global community to reflect on the impact of recent aid cuts and to share their insights on what’s next for education in emergencies. Here are their answers, in their own words. 
• What’s Next for EiE: In conversation with Emma Gremley, 16 May, 2025. In this conversation, Emma Gremley, Senior Director Education, Economic Recovery and Development at the International Rescue Committee and Faiza Hassan, Director of INEE, reflect on what meaningful change in the EiE sector could look like. 
• What Does Meaningful Localization Look Like? A Conversation with Hani Mansourian, 16 June, 2025.  In this conversation, Hani Mansourian, Director of the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, and Faiza Hassan, Director of INEE, explore how to turn the rhetoric of localization into practical change. They discuss how structural reforms can support locally led responses that are better equipped to withstand future shocks.
• What’s Next for Education in Emergency Settings in Latin America and the Caribbean? A conversation with Ruth Custode, Sussana Urbano and Faiza Hassan, 27 June, 2025. In this conversation, Ruth Custode (UNICEF LACRO) and Sussana Urbano (Save The Children), co-leaders of the Regional Education Group for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Faiza Hassan, Director of INEE, reflect on the future of EiE in the LAC region and explore how the sector can move from reactive programs to long-term resilient solutions.
• Localisation and the Future of EiE: Reflections from an INEE Country Focal Point, 10 July, 2025. In this blog, Italy Country Focal Point, Fabiana Maglio, reflects on the Beyond Aid: What's Next for EiE? consultations and the discussions on localizing EiE in light of the shifting funding landscape for EiE and broader calls for sectoral transformation.

We want to hear from you!

How have the recent funding cuts impacted education service delivery in your context? How do you see education in emergencies evolving? And how can we continue ensuring access to quality education for all children without relying so heavily on traditional donor funding? What are your hopes, aspirations, and plans?

If you're interested in contributing a blog to this series, reach out to [email protected] for more information. We're happy to accept blogs in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.