World News in Brief: UN spotlights education aid solution, Sri Lanka prison violence, humanitarian aid to Venezuela

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) urged international lenders to expand debt-for-education swaps, warning in a Friday report that many developing countries are spending more on debt servicing than on schooling their children. 

At the same time, low and middle-income countries are projected to lose 30 per cent of aid to education between 2023 and 2027. Development assistance to education has decreased for several years after the US heavily scaled back foreign aid and other countries prioritized debt payments and military spending.

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Because foreign aid for education is decreasing, UNESCO highlighted debt-for-education swaps as a potential alternative for developing countries.

A debt-for-education swap is a form of debt relief where a lender forgives a portion of a country’s debt. In exchange, the borrowing country must spend that amount of money on domestic education projects, allowing countries to protect education spending during periods of fiscal constraint.

“Education is the most powerful investment countries can make,” UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany said. 

Education aid plummets

Aid to education fell by eight per cent between 2023 and 2025, and aid to basic education fell by 15 per cent over the same period. The US cut total foreign aid by 57 per cent, the EU by 14 per cent and Japan by six per cent in 2025, according to UNESCO’s Counting the Loss report, released on Friday.

Much of the decrease can be attributed to the dismantling of the US’s main aid agency, USAID, ongoing consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic, energy price shocks and the prioritization of investments in clean energy, UNESCO said.

The countries most affected by the decrease in aid include Nicaragua, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Mauritania and Honduras, according to the report.

Although debt-for-education swaps may not be suitable in all contexts, UNESCO said they have been successful in Peru, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire.

In addition to this financing method, UNESCO recommended lowering the costs of borrowing, building resilience in education systems and increasing domestic education spending whenever possible.

Sri Lanka prison violence must be investigated

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday urged a prompt, independent and transparent investigation into the recent outbreak of deadly violence at a jail in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which killed at least 23 people and critically injured at least 15.

“The families of the dozens killed and injured – both inmates and prison officers – deserve to know the truth and see accountability,” OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement.

The riots took place over two days beginning Sunday at Negombo city jail, around 22 miles north of the capital city, Colombo. According to reports, poor detention conditions such as overcrowding may have played a role in prompting the violence.

Calls to monitor conditions

OHCHR noted that the deadly incident highlights the need for Sri Lanka to address issues including prolonged pre-trial detention, overcrowding and other inadequate conditions in prisons.

Many people in Sri Lanka are detained for drug-related offences who would instead benefit from health-centred responses as opposed to incarceration, Ms. Shamdasani said.

OHCHR is encouraging Sri Lankan authorities to allow the independent Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to access Negombo and other detention facilities to monitor conditions, especially amid accusations of torture and ill treatment.

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UN airlifts supplies to Venezuela

The UN migration agency (IOM) has airlifted relief supplies including jerry cans, solar lamps and indoor privacy partitions to Venezuela to support communities affected by the 24 June earthquake.

“For families dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake, whether and when they receive initial assistance can make a big difference for how they are able to recover,” said Kim Eling, IOM Senior Director for Strategy and External Engagement.

The devastating earthquake has killed 3,889, injured at least 16,740 and displaced 17,907, according to local authorities.

Collaboration with partners

The IOM worked with DHL’s Disaster Response Team, the UN’s Humanitarian Response Depot in Panama and the Venezuelan Government to coordinate the emergency relief shipment, which arrived in the capital Caracas on Tuesday.

“This operation highlights IOM’s continued commitment to preparedness, rapid emergency response, and effective humanitarian supply chain coordination, using strategic partnerships and global prepositioning capacities to deliver life-saving assistance to crisis-affected populations,” the IOM wrote in a press release.

The supplies, which will support emergency shelter operations, build on the UN’s efforts to mobilize relief to Venezuelans affected by the earthquake.