Education partners in Nepal have issued this statement in response to border blockades leading to shortages of critical goods in the country, including fuel and medicines. Strikes in the southern plains of the country have been ongoing for more than two months, and as a result schools in the area have been forced to cut down on classes or close entirely.

Education is not a privilege but a fundamental right of children. All should therefore join hands to ensure unhindered and equal access to education at all times including during and after disaster, political strife and conflict.

In addition, education fosters today's children to become capable, well- informed and active citizens of tomorrow. This in turn helps the society to become more cohesive and resilient. Education is also the foundation for a nation's sustainable economic growth and progress in key social development areas such as health and nutrition. At the individual level, education enables children to reach their full potential and provides them with more capacity to earn a decent livelihood.

Global evidence shows that the disruption in regular school attendance substantially increases the risk of children dropping out and never coming back to school. This also affects the future generations. According to Government of Nepal, the current school closure in Nepal is putting an estimated 1.6 million children at risk of not completing their primary education while Nepal has yet to fulfill its commitment towards ensuring universal primary enrollment under the Millennium Development Goal 2.

On August 3rd, 2013, almost all political parties in Nepal signed on a joint commitment to make schools as a "Zone of Peace." As adults, we have an obligation to set a good example for our children, we cannot fail to translate this commitment into reality so that it won't remain only on paper. We owe it to the Nepali children, who need to be fully equipped with basic education to carry the torch we pass onto them for the better future of Nepal.

On behalf of the Development Partners supporting the Nepal Government in the education sector: