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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Attacks by Boko Haram force one million children out of school |
| 2015-12-24 |
| Attacks by Islamic extremist group Boko Haram in north-eastern Nigeria and neighbouring countries have forced more than one million children out of school, heightening the risk they will be abused, abducted or recruited by armed groups, Unicef said. The United Nations children's agency said the conflict has forced 2,000 schools to close, some for more than a year, in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Some have been looted or set on fire by the militant group, whose name means "Western education is sinful". Insecurity also prevents teachers from going back to classes, while in schools that have reopened, classrooms are overcrowded. Boko Haram's insurgency has killed about 20,000 people and displaced millions, according to Amnesty International. |
| Posted by:Steve White |