More than a third of school children across the world do not have access to online learning after the coronavirus crisis forced schools to shut down, according to a report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), released on Thursday.

Approximately 1.5 billion children were affected by school closures, due to lockdown measures.

Nearly half of students in sub-Saharan Africa and more than a third of them in eastern Europe and parts of Asia are not able to learn from home.

UNICEF executive director, Henrietta Fore, said there has been no such a thing as distant learning, for at least 463 million children, she said.

“The sheer number of children whose education was completely disrupted for months on end is a global education emergency. The repercussions could be felt in economies and societies for decades to come,” she said.

The report included data from 100 different countries looking at the availability of tools and technology for remote learning at home.

UNICEF launched Reimagine campaign calling for urgent investment to help all children access online learning and work towards the reopening of schools.