Two UN agencies have appealed to the government of South Sudan to re-open schools closed four months ago due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The UN children’s agency UNICEF and the UN Cultural and Scientific Organization or UNCESCO said in a joint editorial piece that when schools in South Sudan shut down in March, two million children were forced out of school.
The UN agencies warned that prolong closure of schools exposes girls to higher risks of sexual exploitation and abuse including child marriage.
They also said school closures are likely to cause students to degenerate academically.
UNICEF and UNCESCO mentioned available evidence points to harm being done to children by not being in school.
They called on the government to come up with a plan on how schools can reopen in South Sudan during the COVID-19 crisis because education cannot wait.
The UN agencies said they will work with the Ministry of General Education and Instruction to ensure that the return of children to schools can happen in the best circumstances, reducing possible risk of infections.