The United Nations announced on Monday that about 2.8 million children in West and Central Africa are unable to attend school because of ongoing conflicts.
The latest data highlights a significant impact on education in these regions.
According to the UN, over 14,000 schools were closed in the second quarter of this year across 24 states in the area between the Sahara Desert and the Congo Basin.
This figure represents an increase of about 1,000 schools compared to the previous year.
The Norwegian Refugee Council, marking the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, noted that countries severely affected by these closures include Burkina Faso, Mali, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In conflict zones, schools are frequently targeted by militants, who may attack educational facilities or abduct children and teachers.
Notorious groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria have explicitly opposed formal education as part of their agenda.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone, conflicts have forced 1,457 schools to shut down since the beginning of the year.
