Muzoon Almellehan

Syrian refugee turned UNICEF advocate securing education for displaced children worldwide

Muzoon Almellehan (born 2001) became the youngest UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador at age 17 after fleeing Syria's civil war with her family. Her Back to School campaign (launched 2020) has helped enroll 2 million displaced children in formal education systems across the Middle East and Africa. Almellehan's website features her grassroots strategies like the School Safety Scorecards initiative adopted in 15 conflict zones. Her 2022 book 《My School Bag》 documents her journey from a bombed classroom in Damascus to advocating at the UN General Assembly. Almellehan's digital platform Refugee Schools Network connects 500+ NGOs with educators through AI-driven resource matching. She pioneered the Education in Emergencies certification program (2023), now taught at 20 universities globally. Almellehan's TED Talk 'Education is My Weapon' (850k views) inspired the 2024 Global Education Compact, signed by 45 nations committing $1.2 billion to refugee education. She currently advises the World Bank's Education Crisis Fund and recently launched the Girls' Education Scholarship fund raising $30 million annually.