South Sudan has the world’s highest proportion of out-of-school children in the world, with 72 percent of primary-aged children out of school, according to UNICEF (April 2017). At least 2.2 million children are out of school in South Sudan, according to UNESCO (May 2018). At least one in three schools has been damaged, destroyed, occupied or closed, UNICEF reported (January 2018).

To help South Sudanese children access basic education, USAID is assisting conflict-affected children and communities with temporary learning spaces and psychosocial support while promoting peacebuilding and tolerance. Since 2014, USAID has reached more than 514,800 children with quality education services in a protective learning environment.