Abuja
Nearly one million children have reportedly been displaced by crisis caused by Boko Haram while another 450,000 children under the age of five are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year, United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has said.
According to a release by UNICEF at the weekend, an estimated three million children are in need of emergency education support in North east Nigeria.
UNICEF observed that the use of close 100 children so far this year as human bombs has sown a climate of mistrust among communities in the North east, adding that cholera outbreak has affected more than 3900 people, including over 2450 children.
“The crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in North east Nigeria means that over 57 per cent of schools in Borno, the worst-hit state, are closed, even as the new school year begins”.
The statement added that, since 2009, across the northeast, over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 have been displaced. UNICEF said almost 1,400 schools have been destroyed with the majority unable to open because of extensive damage or because they are in areas that remain unsafe.
“Children in North east Nigeria are living through so much horror,” said Justin Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF.
“In addition to devastating malnutrition, violence and an outbreak of cholera, the attacks on schools is in danger of creating a lost generation of children, threatening their and the countries future.”
UNICEF noted that some children living in camps for the displaced in Borno state, however, are actually benefiting from education for the first time in their lives.
“In the three most-affected states of northeast Nigeria, UNICEF and partners have enrolled nearly 750,000 children in school this year, establishing over 350 temporary learning spaces, and distributing almost 94,000 packs of learning material that will help children to get an education,” the statement said.
