Qatari Ambassador: Protecting educational institutions from conflicts is a shared responsibility
Maysa Al-Sukari: The Qatari Ambassador to Kuwait, Ali bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud, affirmed that protecting students, teachers, schools, universities, and all educational institutions from conflicts and wars is a “shared responsibility that requires preventive action, preparedness, effective response, and enhanced accountability,” warning that wars and conflicts must not become a cause for “permanently depriving an entire generation of its right to learn and build its future.”
Speaking on the occasion of the International Day for the Protection of Education from Attack, observed annually on September 9, Ambassador Al Mahmoud stated that safeguarding education requires intensifying international efforts to ensure the safety of educational institutions and their staff and students, and preventing schools and universities from being turned into targets of conflict.
This statement was issued by the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Kuwait, which obtained a copy from Al-Qabas, in connection with the embassy’s participation in the global campaign “Together for the Protection of Education,” led by the Education Above All Foundation in Qatar.
The embassy pointed out that international data reveal a serious escalation in attacks targeting education. It noted that the “Education Under Attack 2026” report, published by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, documented at least 8,566 incidents of attacks on education and the military use of schools and universities during 2024 and 2025, representing an increase of over 40 percent compared to the previous period.
It added that at least 10,600 students, teachers, and education sector employees were harmed during the same period, considering these figures to reflect the scale of the threat facing the fundamental right to education and the far-reaching impacts on the futures of individuals and communities resulting from targeting educational institutions.
The embassy emphasized that Qatar has been at the forefront of international efforts to establish the protection of education as a global issue, highlighting its leadership in the initiatives that led to the adoption of a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 2020, designating September 9 as the International Day for the Protection of Education from Attack, with the support of 62 countries.
