About 417,000 Cameroonian Children Need Humanitarian Assistance in Education-UNICEF

BY NDIMUH B. SHANCHO

Statistics from UNICEF Education Officer, Francisca Magano, reveals that about  417,000 boys and girls in the country are in need of humanitarian assistance in the area of education s a result of the shutting down of over 147 schools and the internal displacement of about 27000 children due to arms conflict.

Speaking, August 20, 2019, at a workshop  to create awareness on the Safe School declaration principles and dialogue for its implementation at the national and international levels, madam Francisca said  over 9000 schools shutdown in central Africa within the past couple of  week due to arm conflict and terrorist attacks and half of these schools are in Cameroon.

While opening deliberations, the Secretary General at the Ministry of Basic Education, Ebune Paul said the workshop came at an opportune moment.  “The meeting will help the government create and guarantee a safe and protective working environment for pupils and teachers. Since three years there has been insecurity in the North and Extreme North where there is Boko Haram, North West and SW regions where we have secessionists, who have made school become impossible. Schools have to go on and in a safe environment”

Meeting at the eve of the 2019/2020 school year aims at reinforcing the role of education actors in the protection of schools, reducing the impact of conflict on education and guaranteeing to all children access quality and inclusive education via a protecting learning environment.

Safe school declaration is an initiative  geared towards  monitoring and reporting field programmes,  Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use and Protecting Higher Education from Attack