Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Kuslum, a 14-year-old Rohingya girl returning to class several months after U.S. aid and other foreign donor cuts closed learning centers, initially affecting 300,000 children attending schools run by UNICEF, Save the Children, and other local organizations. Although some children were allowed to resume learning after extensive fundraising efforts, around 150,000 children remained out of school as of October 2025.

Devex Researcher Note: UNICEF warns that the threat of funding shortfalls in early 2026 risks closing all schools again. Between 2024 and 2025, the U.S. government halved its contributions to address the Rohingya refugee crisis. In part as a result of this, the humanitarian education cluster operating out of Bangladesh had only secured about $16.9 million of its $71.5 million annual budget needs, forcing a wide reduction in services. The closure of these learning centres poses a threat not only to children's educational attainment, but their broader protection and wellbeing, says the International Rescue Committee — outside of school, children face an increased risk of child labor, trafficking, and early marriage, harms that disproportionately impact girls.

Source: UNICEF