This Awareness Wednesday we are discussing a conflict that is ongoing for the past two years in the regions of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. This conflict has left 1.2 million people (half being children) displaced. Children and their families fleeing conflict are at greater risk of violence, exploitation and recruitment by non-state armed groups, and more prone to negative coping mechanisms such as child marriage. This comes in addition to a significant increase of violence against children who are caught in the crossfire, with hundreds having been killed, maimed, or forcibly separated from their families
This conflict has put in jeopardy efforts to improve an already weak education system. Between April 2017 and December 2019, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger witnessed a six-fold increase in school closures due to violence. More than 3,300 schools were closed as of December 2019, affecting almost 650,000 children and more than 16,000 teachers.
Schools and other social services have been shut down or are barely functioning; leaving many children at risk of being recruited by these groups. Those who have been forcibly displaced are at greater risk of being separated from their caregivers and are more likely to face sexual and physical violence.
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