The European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education is saddened by the current crisis in Ukraine which has caused tragic loss of life among civilians and the destruction of essential infrastructure in the country. As a consequence, millions of people are forced to leave their country, causing a new refugee crisis in Europe.
The United Nations estimates that 12 million people in Ukraine will need relief and protection, and more than four million Ukrainian refugees may need assistance in neighbouring countries in the coming months. European national governments are implementing new responsive measures to address this crisis.
The Agency believes that inclusive education systems help to create positive responses to crises such as the one in Ukraine. Recent events around the world have shown the importance of building inclusive, resilient education systems that can respond to unforeseen crises including war, forced migration, natural disasters and pandemics. Inclusive education systems can help in the shorter term, such as enabling countries to provide education to displaced children and young people, but they also contribute longer term to building more inclusive societies in general.
The Agency will continue to work towards ensuring access to inclusive education for all, to strengthen and build peaceful and democratic societies across Europe and beyond. We hope that respect for human rights, peaceful relations between nations and the international rule of law will prevail.
