UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The new academic year in Burkina Faso starts with 1 million children out of school due to ongoing violence and insecurity, UNICEF said on Monday.
The UN Children's Fund warned that at least 6,149, or one in four schools, remain closed due to ongoing violence and insecurity in parts of the country. It means more than 31,000 teachers and over a million children cannot return to their classrooms, fearing for their safety.
At least 230 schools now serve as temporary shelters for more than 52,000 internally displaced persons, further impeding education, said the UN agency.
As insecurity becomes rife in certain conflict hotspots, schools are immediately closed, and teachers, parents, and children are forced to flee their homes to find refuge elsewhere, it said.
"Having so many children still unable to return to school due to violence and insecurity, and so many schools closed, is very upsetting," said John Agbor, UNICEF Representative in Burkina Faso. "We need to continue our work and ensure every child in Burkina Faso can access education and fulfill their dreams in peace and safety."
However, UNICEF said that despite the ongoing insecurity, more than 3.8 million girls and boys are returning to school, including in regions strongly affected by conflict.
In collaboration with UNICEF and other partner institutions, the Burkinabe Ministry of National Education, Literacy and Promotion of National Languages (MENAPLN) ramped up efforts to bring children back into classrooms, particularly in areas most affected by the security crisis, including the Nord, Centre-Nord, Boucle du Mouhoun, Est, Centre-Est and Sahel regions.
This year alone, UNICEF said it had supported MENAPLN to facilitate access to education for 763,000 children through formal education, accelerated schooling strategies, vocational training, and education by radio programs, and distributed more than 150,000 school kits and supplies.
In addition, the fund said 2,670 radio sets to support education by radio, 500 school-in-a-box kits, and 435 recreational and early childhood development kits are being distributed to cover the needs of 37,400 children.
The World Food Programme said that Burkina Faso ranks 184th out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index, with 40 percent of the population living below the poverty line.
Burkina Faso has suffered internal conflict for decades, including two military coups in 2022.
In line with the 2023 Humanitarian Action for Children Appeal, UNICEF said it requires 226.7 million U.S. dollars to continue providing children and vulnerable populations with life-saving goods and services. Only 13 percent of the necessary funds have been allocated. ■
