Response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic

GPE is supporting lower-income countries to mitigate the impacts that school closures have on the most vulnerable children and to build the resilience of education systems.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an education emergency of unprecedented scale. In lower-income countries, which were already facing a learning crisis before the pandemic, 126 million children are cut off from schools.

GPE has quickly mobilized more than US$500 million to support partner countries with planning and implementing their response to the pandemic. This funding is helping governments sustain learning for up to 355 million children in 66 countries.

GPE is working across the partnership to promote coordinated responses that are country-driven, aligned behind government priorities, and to share information and experiences.

Result stories

Niger: Strengthening the resilience of the education system to limit the effects of COVID-19
To limit the effects of school closures, adapt learning and strengthen the system’s resilience, GPE has made funding available to Niger to support its emergency program.
Djibouti: An opportunity to transform education through enhanced sector dialogue during COVID-19

Since March 2020, Djibouti has been working to find solutions to address school closures due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Rwanda builds a resilient education system

GPE is supporting the country to ensure learning continues while building resilience for future crises.
In Timor-Leste, “school goes home” during coronavirus

The government of Timor-Leste is ensuring learning continues during this unprecedented time, while preparing schools for safe reopening.
Pakistan: Expanding equal access to learning during coronavirus

A US$20 million grant supports Pakistan to strengthen its capacity to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, while ensuring the most vulnerable children are not left behind.
Papua New Guinea: Reinventing learning in the time of coronavirus

GPE is supporting the government of Papua New Guinea to ensure all students continue learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
In Eswatini, online learning has become the new normal during coronavirus

A US$70,000 GPE grant is helping Eswatini minimize the disruptions to children’s education caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
When coronavirus hit, the Eastern Caribbean states took bold steps to ensure continuity of learning

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is one step closer to bridging the digital divide, ensuring all children can learn online while schools are closed.

Zambia rises to meet the education challenges posed by the coronavirus

Zambia is shifting to distance learning to ensure education continues during the coronavirus outbreak, including for the most disadvantaged children.
Sudan: The coronavirus pandemic forces schools to innovate

GPE is supporting Sudan to ensure children can continue learning while schools are closed by developing and broadcasting TV and radio programs.

 

Our response

Between April and October 2020, GPE approved $467 million in COVID-19 accelerated grants to 66 countries and another $25 million for a global grant to UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank.

Grant allocations by category
(in US$ millions)

Distance learning methods
(in US$ millions)

The country grants help ensure that girls and children from the poorest families, who have been hit hardest by school closures, are not left behind.

  • Grants support partner countries' response in:
    • Equity: Hygiene and psychosocial support programs, with priority for the most vulnerable children, including children with disabilities.
    • Learning: Distance learning initiatives, provision of learning materials, support to teachers in distance and accelerated remedial learning programs.
    • System resilience and school reopening: Preparations for the reopening of schools by ensuring that students and teachers can return to safe education facilities.
  • 41% of the grants support low tech solutions for distance learning (radio and TV); 35% support printed materials, and 24% support e-learning.

More details on thematic allocations of COVID-19 grants

Funding for COVID-19 response

COVID-19 grants

  • 66 countries received COVID-19 accelerated grants totalling US$467 million (see table below)
  • 87 countries received a COVID-19 planning grant in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic for a total of US$8.8 million
  • a US$25 million global grant funds a joint initiative by UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank to ensure regional and global efficiencies and knowledge sharing in the education pandemic response.

Click on each country in the table below to learn more about COVID-19 grants and related documentation

More information on COVID-19 grants

View data on COVID-19 and education

Approved grants

Country Amount (US$ M) Grant agent
Afghanistan 11 UNICEF
Bangladesh 15 World Bank
Burkina Faso 7 AFD
Benin 7 World Bank
Bhutan 0.75 Save the Children
Burundi 7 UNICEF
Cabo Verde 0.75 UNICEF
Cambodia 7 UNICEF
Cameroon 11 UNESCO
Central African Republic 7 UNICEF
Chad 7 World Bank
Comoros 0.75 UNICEF
DR Congo 15 UNICEF
Republic of Congo 7 UNICEF
Cote d'Ivoire 11 UNICEF
Djibouti 3.5 World Bank
Ethiopia 15 World Bank
The Gambia 3.5 World Bank
Ghana 15 World Bank
Guinea 7 UNICEF
Guinea Bissau 3.5 UNICEF
Guyana 3.5 UNICEF
Haiti 7 UNICEF
Kenya 11 World Bank
Kiribati 0.75 UNICEF
Lao PDR 7 UNICEF
Lesotho 3.47 UNICEF
Liberia 7 UNICEF
Madagascar 15 World Bank
Malawi 10 UNICEF
Maldives 0.75 UNICEF
Mali 7 World Bank
Marshall Islands 0.75 UNICEF
Mauritania 3.5 IsDB
FS Micronesia 0.75 UNICEF
Mozambique 15 UNICEF
Myanmar 11 UNICEF
Nepal 11 World Bank
Nicaragua 7 World Bank
Niger 11 AFD/UNICEF
Nigeria 15 UNICEF
OECS (Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines) 3 OECS
Pakistan 20 World Bank
Papua New Guinea 9.44 UNICEF
Rwanda 10 World Bank
Sao Tome and Principe 0.75 UNICEF
Samoa 0.75 UNICEF
Senegal 7 AFD
Sierra Leone 7 World Bank
Solomon Islands 0.75 UNICEF
Somalia (Federal Government) 5.4 Save the Children
Somalia (Puntland) 1.3 UNICEF
Somalia (Somaliland) 2.2 Save the Children
South Sudan 7 UNICEF
Sudan 11 World Bank
Tanzania 15.16 SIDA
Tanzania (Zanzibar) 1.5 UNICEF
Timor-Leste 3.5 UNICEF
Togo 7 World Bank
Tonga 0.75 Save the Children
Tuvalu 0.75 UNICEF
Uganda 15 World Bank
Vanuatu 0.75 Save the Children
Yemen 11 ISDB
Zambia 10 UNICEF
Zimbabwe 7 UNICEF
TOTAL 467.22  

Last updated: November 2, 2020

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