UNICEF has released alarming new statistics that indicate that the ongoing violence and insecurity in Burkina Faso have resulted in more than one million children being deprived of their right to education.
The report released on Monday, October 2, adds that about 6,100 schools, or at least one out of four, were closed on the first day of the school year.
The escalating violence and instability in the region have created an environment in which attending school has become increasingly dangerous for children.
Burkina Faso, once known for its commitment to education and youth development, is now facing a severe crisis as armed groups continue to destabilise the country. Schools, traditionally considered safe havens for learning and growth, have become targets of attacks, leaving parents and guardians fearful for their children’s safety.
The junta, led by Ibrahim Traore, seized power in a military coup last year but has since struggled to improve security in the country.
The country has been struggling to contain Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State who have killed thousands and displaced over two million people in the country, more than half of them children.
Indeed, data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a U.S.-based crisis-monitoring group, shows that violence nationwide has only increased since the coup.
UNICEF’s report highlights the devastating consequences of this education crisis. Besides the immediate impact on individual children, it also poses long-term risks for the country’s development and stability, a situation UNICEF describes as “upsetting”.
“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, in the statement.
More than 3.8 million children in total are still due to return to school in Burkina Faso, including in areas affected by conflict, UNICEF said, adding it was working with authorities and other partners to help facilitate access to education, including programmes such as lessons by radio.
The violence is part of a regional insurgency that has also plagued neighbouring Mali and Niger where conflict has interrupted children’s education for years in one of the poorest corners of the world.
The situation in Burkina Faso serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of insecurity on the future of nations, while the country remains one of the poorest in the world.
