The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has called on international lenders to expand debt-for-education swaps, warning that many developing countries are spending more on debt servicing than on educating their children. This appeal comes amid a significant decline in development assistance to education, particularly after the United States drastically reduced its foreign aid.

According to UNESCO’s "Counting the Loss" report released on July 10, 2026, the US cut total foreign aid by 57 percent in 2025, while the European Union and Japan reduced aid by 14 and 6 percent respectively. The report attributes much of this decrease to the dismantling of the US’s main aid agency, USAID, ongoing impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, energy price shocks, and a shift in priorities toward clean energy investments.

Low and middle-income countries are projected to lose 30 percent of aid to education between 2023 and 2027. UNESCO emphasized that debt-for-education swaps, where lenders forgive part of a country’s debt in exchange for domestic investment in education, could help protect education budgets during fiscal constraints. "Education is the most powerful investment countries can make," said UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany.

In a separate humanitarian concern, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) urged a prompt, independent, and transparent investigation into deadly violence at a jail in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which resulted in at least 23 deaths and 15 critical injuries.

Additionally, Kim Eling, IOM Senior Director for Strategy and External Engagement, highlighted the importance of timely assistance for families recovering from earthquakes, noting that initial aid significantly affects recovery outcomes.

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