Page 10 - aruba-today-20190824

A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 24 auguSt 2019

West, Central Africa violence closes 9,000 schools

By CARLEY PETESCH nel in West and Central Af-
Associated Press rica - and to support quality
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — learning for every child in
Fourteen-year-old Hussaini the region.”
said he first heard scream- Many of the gains that were
ing. Then people fired guns, made in these regions are
shooting at and killing at now at risk, and more than
least one of his teachers in 70 percent of emergency
his northern Burkina Faso vil- education programs are
lage. underfunded, said Nakell.
It’s been more than a year “With more than 40 million
since Hussaini has been to 6 to 14-year-old children
school. missing out on their right
“I used to love school, to to education in West and
read, to count and to play Central Africa, it is crucial
during recess,” the boy, that governments and their
identified only by his first partners work to diversify
name, told the United Na- available options for qual-
tions Children’s Agency. ity education,” said UNICEF
He is not alone. Regional Director for West
More than 9,000 schools and Central Africa Marie-
have closed and more than Pierre Poirier. “Culturally
1.9 million children in West suitable models with inno-
and Central Africa have In this photo provided by UNICEF and taken on April 24, 2019, Boureima Tall, a displaced teacher vative, inclusive and flexible
been forced out of school at the temporary learning space teaches numbers in front of his class in Socoura, Mali. approaches, which meet
because of increasing vio- Associated Press quality learning standards,
lence in the region and at- heart of the issue of these said Nakell who noted the Insecurity in Cameroon’s can help reach many chil-
tacks specifically targeting disputes. There is a mistrust trend as catastrophic. Anglophone regions has dren, especially in situation
education facilities, UNICEF toward what is perceived as More than 2,000 schools left more than 4,400 schools of conflict.”
said Friday, saying it’s triple western style education, so are closed in Burkina Faso, forcibly closed since 2017, UNICEF has worked with
the amount closed in 2017. that means it is deliberately along with more than 900 in UNICEF said. In Central Af- authorities to support what
Attacks on schools in Mali, attacked,” said an author Mali, due to an increase in rican Republic, there was they call alternative learn-
Burkina Faso and Niger, of the report and UNICEF violence across both coun- a 20 percent increase in ing opportunities. In Nigeria
where an Islamic extrem- Johannesburg-based Chief tries, UNICEF said. In April attacks on schools, UNICEF for example, the organiza-
ist insurgency has grown, of Communications Patsy 2017, Burkina Faso, Mali said. tion said basic education
have doubled in the past Nakell. “These are regions and Niger had 512 schools UNICEF has called on gov- is being introduced into
two years, the agency said that are already deprived closed and now they have ernments, armed forces, Quranic schools. In Burkina
in its report, adding that in education and access a combined 3,005 since the international commu- Faso and Cameroon, les-
those countries have seen to education for girls in par- June 2019, the agency nity and those who are a sons are being broadcast,
a six-fold increase in school ticular.” said. Islamic extremists in part of the conflict to “take and children who have
closures because of the School is also the one place the region have spread at- concerted action to stop never been to school in
violence. where children of conflict tacks further and increased attacks and threats against Burkina Faso, and Congo
“In many conflicts in this still have joy and are chal- attacks along the border schools, students, teachers can also now learn via
region, education is at the lenged to learn new things, regions of these nations. and other school person- radio.q

Syria retakes territory in NW held by rebels since 2012

By ZEINA KARAM key, the last territory con- the Syrian opposition and
Associated Press trolled by the opposition. rebels fighting Assad’s forc-
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian Presi- The Syrian Observatory for es, while Russia supports
dent Bashar Assad’s troops Human Rights also report- Assad’s government.
seized control of a string ed Friday that government The Observatory said it was
of villages in the north- troops were in control of not clear whether there
ern countryside of Hama the entire northern Hama were any Turkish soldiers
province, completing their countryside after captur- remaining in the Morek ob-
takeover of the formerly ing a series of towns and servation post or whether
rebel-held region just south villages. Syrian TV showed they had withdrawn from
of Idlib province for the first troops walking freely inside the area overnight.
time since 2012, the Syrian these villages. An army He appealed for a political
army and a war monitoring statement said the military solution to the long-running
group said Friday. was removing mines and Syria crisis that would put
The army said troops seized booby-traps left behind by an end to more displace-
the villages of Latamneh, the insurgents. ment and allow for the
Latmeen, Kfar Zeita and La- This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, The fate of Turkish troops safe return of Syrian refu-
haya, as well as the village shows a Civil Defense worker searching for victims from under manning the observation gees. Turkey hosts around
the rubble of a destroyed building that was hit by airstrikes in
of Morek, where Turkey the northern town of Maaret al-Numan, in Idlib province, Syria, post wasn’t immediately 3.6 million Syrian refugees
maintains an observation Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. clear. Since a deal with and is concerned that the
post, pressing ahead its of- Associated Press Russia last year, Turkey has fighting in Idlib is causing a
fensive toward Idlib. losses for rebels who have, forces poised to focus on maintained 12 such posts in surge of displacement to-
The army advance repre- for eight years, fought to reclaiming Idlib province, and around Idlib province. ward its sealed border with
sents the latest in a series of topple Assad. It leaves his near the border with Tur- Turkey is a strong backer of Syria. q