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Africa News of Tuesday, 3 October 2023

Source: bbc.com

One million children out of school in Burkina Faso

School children School children

Safety fears in Burkina Faso mean one in four schools are closed and more than one million children are not in education, says the UN's children's agency Unicef.

Burkina Faso is one of the world's most-neglected crises, humanitarians say. The military junta has promised but failed to tackle Islamist militants, who still control large swathes of the country. More than two million people have been forced from their homes by the violence.

Unicef says it is working with the government to support children in areas that are worst affected by Burkina Faso's security crisis - including the Nord, Centre-Nord, Boucle du Mouhoun, Est, Centre-Est and Sahel regions.

But Unicef says only 13% of the funds it needs have been allocated, and it needs a further $227m (£187m).