The European Commission dedicates more than half of its humanitarian funding to conflict-affected areas. 12% of its humanitarian budget goes to relief organisations that help children particularly with protection, psycho-social support, mine risk education, and actions against the recruitment of child soldiers. It also funds educational activities in emergency and crisis situations.

Education is particularly crucial for both the protection and the development of children affected by conflict. Apart from contributing to their development, educational activities provide girls and boys with psychosocial support and help create at least some sense of normality.

Today, 90% of victims of conflicts are civilians. Half of them are children. And of the approximately 75 million children who are out of school worldwide, half live in conflict areas. Despite these needs, humanitarian assistance for education is severely underfunded since the more immediate life-saving provisions of food, shelter and medicine often take priority in emergencies and crises.

Thanks to the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize and in the spirit of peace and solidarity, the EU doubled the Prize money to EUR 2 million and dedicated this money to help those children less fortunate, children denied the chance to grow up in peace.

28 000 children have been receiving educational support through four projects implemented with renowned humanitarian partners of the EU: in Iraq with ACTED, in Pakistan with UNICEF, in Colombia and Ecuador with UNHCR and in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo with Save the Children and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

EU Children of Peace continues. The European Commission has increased the available funds from €2 million in 2013 to €4 million for 2014. More than 80 000 children affected by war will benefit from this second round of the EU Children of Peace initiative. Humanitarian projects will be carried out by nine humanitarian organizations who will help girls and boys in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar, Colombia and Ecuador.

The EU aims to continue the EU Children of Peace initiative in the years to come; a sign of a firm commitment to keep on helping children worldwide to remain children.

Selected Projects