United Nations Children Fund or UNICEF on Thursday disclosed up to at least 400 thousand South Sudanese children dropped out of school due to ongoing conflict in the country.
UNICEF South Sudan Representative Jonathan Veitch told the press that the 400 thousand school dropouts’ figure is an addition to others who dropped out before the conflict especially in the Upper Nile region.
He says it is a tag of war to find a way of returning the dropouts to school in 2015 as education in emergencies’ program takes root.
Mr Veitch revealed that UNICEF had been training teachers in the conflict-ravaged areas and that the Fund covered at least 60 thousand children in emergency education services in 200 learning spaces.
He explained that more efforts are needed to rescue the nation from losing the next generation.
Mr Veitch lamented that warring forces still continue to occupy about 100 education facilities despite commitments and calls from military commanders to vacate the facilities.
The UNICEF Country Representative added that even other education and health facilities remain occupied by Internally Displaced Persons or IDPs and wondered how children could continue learning in an insecure environment after vacation.
Education partners and government resolved to prioritise education amidst crisis besides other competing priorities such as food, shelter, clean water and medical care services in South Sudan.