The most transformational investment in fragile nations isn’t what you think 

It doesn’t involve roads, ports or security forces. It involves 4-year-olds.

[Photo: Getty Images]

BY David Miliband and Sidsel Marie Kristensen

In an era of shrinking aid budgets and multiplying conflicts, every dollar spent on humanitarian aid must work harder than ever. As the Ebola crisis shows, aid cuts can bring disaster, but the question is not just how much the world spends. It’s whether resources are being directed towards investments that address crisis and generate lasting economic and social returns. 

One of the highest-return investments in fragile nations does not involve roads, ports or security forces. It involves 4-year-olds. Investments in early learning and primary education generate some of the highest long-term returns.........

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