Heavy fighting forces thousands of Ukrainian children out of school
Children in conflicts, Education in emergencies, Safe schools
Children have started to return to schools in parts of the Donetsk region聽after a week of violence - but there are reports of many unexploded shells in the streets.
Several schools were damaged during聽a surge of violence聽in Ukraine – forcing many to close and disrupting the education of聽thousands of children.
More than 2600 children from 13 schools were affected.聽At least five schools and two kindergartens聽were damaged by heavy shelling and 11 other schools had to shut.
Humanitarian groups said families in Avdiivka and other villages near the city of Donetsk聽were afraid to send their children to schools that stayed聽open because of聽the heavy聽fighting and fears of unexploded shells in the streets.
A week of聽heavy shelling between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia separatists cut off power and water supplies to tens of thousands on both sides of the front line. The fighting聽appeared to be slowing down yesterday and schools in Avdiivka began to reopen.
The head of the Ukraine-controlled Donetsk regional administration, Pavlo Zhebrivsky, said today that聽all schools had reopened in Avdiivka and over 500 children had turned up to study.
“Things appear to be going back to normal. Thankfully the shelling stopped. We hope for peace,” teacher Natalia Dudnik told the聽Reuters news agency聽at the town’s school No. 7.
But聽Michele Cecere, Save the Children国产视频檚 Representative in Ukraine, said: 国产视频淭here are reports of large numbers of聽unexploded ordnance in the streets, putting children at enormous risk when going to school,聽even when they can reopen.聽
“Schools being shelled has聽tragically become commonplace in this conflict.聽It国产视频檚 vital that children can get safely back to school as soon as聽possible so they don国产视频檛 miss out on any more learning.国产视频
The聽school聽closures are the latest in an聽ongoing education crisis聽affecting more聽than 600,000 children in eastern Ukraine.聽
After nearly three years of conflict, more than 740聽schools –聽one in five –聽have been damaged or destroyed. Some students have missed聽many months of schooling due to displacement and the effects of the聽conflict.
Giovanna Barberis, UNICEF国产视频檚 Representative in Ukraine, said: 国产视频淭he shelling of schools, the one聽place where children find safety and normalcy during conflict, is unacceptable and has to stop.聽Children in eastern Ukraine have suffered enough and we must ensure that they have safe聽spaces to seek solace and support.”
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