Violent Attacks on Education Surge by 40 Percent Globally

The report, Education Under Attack 2026, highlights that at least 10,600 students and educators were harmed across 83 countries. Felicity Pearce, lead researcher for the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), warned that the actual figures are likely higher due to information blackouts and limited humanitarian access in volatile regions. The data shows that even in 55 countries not officially in active conflict, the safety of educational facilities remains under constant threat.

Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Palestine, and Ukraine recorded the highest frequency of incidents. In Gaza, widespread damage has rendered most educational buildings unusable, while in Ukraine, over 1,600 schools have been damaged or destroyed since the full-scale invasion began. GCPEA director Lisa Chung Bender described the findings as a grim indicator that global norms protecting children are collapsing, urging immediate international support for the Safe Schools Declaration to prevent further escalation.