Over 1 Million Children Out Of School Due To Boko Haram Attacks: UN

As Boko Haram continues to wage targeted attacks against civilians in northeastern Nigeria and its neighboring countries, more than 1 million children have been forced out of school -- a consequence that leaves them more susceptible to violence, poverty and child marriage. 

Considered the world’s deadliest terror group, Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc on the region since it seized a large area of northeast Nigeria last year,declaring it an Islamic caliphate. A major element of the group’s terror strategy has been attacking schools and vulnerable girls and women, further devastating an already compromised academic system.

“It’s a staggering number,” Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s West and Central Africa regional director, said in a statement of the amount of children who are out of school. “The conflict has been a huge blow for education in the region, and violence has kept many children out of the classroom for more than a year, putting them at risk of dropping out of school altogether.” 

Hundreds of schools have been attacked across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger and more than 2,000 schools remain closed due to the conflict. In Nigeria alone, about 600 teachers have been killed since the start of Boko Haram’s insurgency, according to UNICEF.

But even before the rise of Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden," the area had a paltry enrollment rate.

An estimated 11 million children of primary school age were already out of school in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger before the crisis began, according to UNICEF.

Boko Haram gained global notoriety last year when it kidnapped 276 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria. That, in turn, sparked a worldwide social media campaign to urge government officials to take action against the group and return the victims to safety. Some escaped, while others have been reportedly trained to fight for the Islamist organization, according to the Guardian.