PARIS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is launching a global education coalition to support students worldwide affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN agency announced in a statement Thursday.

The education coalition, aimed to help countries scale up their best distance-learning practices, brings together a batch of UN agencies and companies like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and KPMG, according to the statement.

Over 1.5 billion learners in 165 countries and regions, or 87 percent of the world's student population, are affected by school closures due to COVID-19, the Paris-based body said.

"Never before have we witnessed educational disruption on such a scale," said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. "Partnership is the only way forward."

"We must speed up the ways we share experience, and help the most vulnerable, whether or not they have internet access," said Angelina Jolie, UN High Commission for Refugees Special Envoy, who partnered with UNESCO in the establishment of the coalition. Enditem

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