NSI 02 focuses on why data and evidence are crucial for understanding and addressing situations of emergency and protracted crises and provides insight into the ethical and material challenges when gathering evidence.

Research in emergency settings is complicated by safety concerns but also sensitive political, social and cultural environments making identification of “what works” a rather daunting task. The ecological validity of findings is usually limited to very specific contexts owing to the idiosyncratic nature of conflict and emergency situations. These, in turn, lead to weaker advocacy and lobbying power, critical to increase the level of support to EiE.

The articles in this special issue, guest edited by Mary Mendenhall, Associate Professor of Practice in the International and Transcultural Studies Department at Teachers College, Columbia University, give details about the lack of data and evidence about good practices and critical needs of children in emergency situations. Many of the SDG indicators cannot be produced for children in conflict-affected areas, either at the global or at the local level. The lack of data and evidence severely undermines the ability of countries to develop sound and articulated education sector plans and their long-term recovery efforts. It also hampers appropriate monitoring and evaluation as well as the search for funding.