The number of children and adolescents whose education has been disrupted due to conflicts and climate crises has risen to over 250 million, with nearly 100 million of them completely out of school, according to a United Nations report.

According to a study by the 'Education Cannot Wait' initiative, the UN fund for education in crisis zones, 'the number of children affected by crises increased by 21 million in just 18 months, reaching an estimated 258 million worldwide.' The report covered school-age children and adolescents whose education was affected by conflict, displacement, climate disasters, and long-term socio-economic crises.

The report concluded that conflicts and violence are the leading causes of children dropping out of school.

Maysa Jalbout, Director of the 'Education Cannot Wait' initiative, said: 'The evidence is clear: conflicts and climate change are undermining hard-won gains in education.' She added, 'These findings show the most urgent needs and the areas where investments can have the greatest impact,' stressing that 'the time has come to invest in the future of children affected by crises.'