Attacks on schools in Afghanistan increased almost threefold last year, making it increasingly difficult to ensure an education for children in many parts of the country, the United Nations children's fund UNICEF said on Tuesday. The agency, which promotes education and children's rights, said the number of attacks against Afghan schools jumped from 68 in 2017 to 192 last year. "The senseless attacks on schools; the killing, injury and abduction of teachers; and the threats against education are destroying the hopes and dreams of an entire generation of children." UNICEF said the use of school buildings as voter centres during last year's parliamentary election may have been a factor behind the rise in attacks. Afghanistan has a young and fast-growing population but about 3.7 million children, or nearly half of all school-age children, are not in formal education, UNICEF said.

Source: dna May 28, 2019 03:45 UTC