Statement By UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore On School Attacks In Afghanistan And Cameroon

NEW YORK (October 24, 2020) – “This has been a deadly weekend for schoolchildren in Afghanistan and Cameroon.

“Earlier today, an attack outside an educational center in Kabul’s Dasht-e-Barchi area left 16 people dead and 45 people injured, many of them women and children.

“Thousands of miles away, an attack on a confessional bilingual college in Kumba, in south-west Cameroon, killed 8 children and injured another 12.

“I am shocked and outraged at these abominable attacks and condemn them in the strongest possible terms.   

“Attacks on education are a grave violation of children’s rights. Schools must be places of safety and learning, not death traps.

“Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims.

“Parties to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Cameroon must abide by the rules of war and protect children at all times. The perpetrators of these acts must be held accountable.”

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About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. UNICEF USA supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

For more information, contact
Erica Vogel, UNICEF USA, 212.922.2480, evogel@unicefusa.org
Gabby Arias, UNICEF USA, 917.720.1306, garias@unicefusa.org