With an estimated nine million children out of school across Ethiopia, the global fund for education in emergencies, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), announced on Monday a new $5 Million First Emergency Response grant, bringing its total investments in the African nation to $93 Million.

Following a high-level visit to the Tigray region last week, which is recovering from a three-year conflict that brought education there to a halt, ECW’s Executive Director Yasmine Sherif told UN News it’s essential to keep youngsters in a safe school environment.

Speaking to Ana Carmo from Tigray, Ms. Sherif warned that without access to the classroom, boys and girls are more vulnerable to forced recruitment, child marriage and gender-based sexual violence.