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United Nations children’s fund, Unicef, says attacks, abuse and child abduction in West and Central Africa have created a “spiraling protection crisis for children as the region is on the verge of disaster ”.
Unicef chief Henrietta Fore said the incidents appeared to be increasing in frequency, raising concerns for the safety and well-being of children. She referred to events in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The latest UN report on children in armed conflict indicates that a third of victims of serious violations are in West and Central Africa.
In Nigeria, the UN estimates that at least 950 students have been abducted from their schools by gunmen since December.
In the past six weeks alone, nearly 500 children have been abducted in four separate incidents in the center and northwest of the country.
Many of these children remain in captivity.
Unicef says the attacks have hampered humanitarian efforts and calls on armed groups to allow aid agencies to reach vulnerable children in the region.
Source: BBC
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