2 yıl önce

Hundreds of students kidnapped in Nigeria in 2021: UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund called for an end to 'grave violations' against the children of Nigeria, stating that 1,440 students were abducted in the country this year.

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Nigerian children are direct targets and collateral victims of violence in their country.

A total of 1,440 students have been abducted and 25 school attacks have taken place in Nigeria in 2021, according to the United Nations Children's Fund.

Nigerian children have been subjected to a conflict that has ravaged their country for 12 years, suffering its consequences, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Thousands of children in the region have been killed, maimed, abducted, displaced, and experienced multiple violations of their human rights," the statement read.

Nigerian children are direct targets and collateral victims of violence in their country.

They are "caught up in the ongoing insecurity we are seeing across the country," said Phuong T. Nguyen, UNICEF head of the Maiduguri field office in Nigeria. "This is unacceptable."

'Grave violations'

The UNICEF report "shows the extent of the grave violations of children’s rights in Nigeria and across the West and Central Africa region," said Nguyen.

These violations must be ceased by "all parties to conflict".

Children "must have an opportunity" to grow, learn, work and contribute to the healthy future of the country.

"That can only happen if they are protected from violence and the worst impacts of conflict," she added.

UNICEF noted that one out of four UN verified grave violations in the world was committed in West and Central Africa since 2005.

More than 6,400 children were victims of one or more grave violations in the region during the last year.