[Sunday November 23 2008 09:11:29 AM GMT]
The current escalation of the conflict has affected 250,000 primary school children of their access to education, according to recent UNICEF report.
Mid Year Review of the UNICEF Humanitarian Action states, "Access to education for more than 250,000 primary school age children has been seriously disrupted and the current increase in displacements further aggravates this situation.The report further said the education sector was making efforts to prepare for and respond to the increasingly disruptive impact of the conflict on childrens schooling.
Contingency stocks are being prepared with supply items of 65,500 student kits, 400 recreation kits and 2,500 teacher kits for distribution in the affected districts.
With UNICEF support in 2008, 35 temporary learning shelters have been constructed enabling 5,250 displaced students to return to school, the report also said.According to the report, 8,000 children continue to live in institutions in the North and East of the country. The resumption of fighting in the north has also increased the risk of under-age recruitment by armed groups.
Despite a strengthened mechanism in place to monitor and report on grave child rights violations through implementation of Security Council Resolution 1612, the recruitment of children by armed groups continues. The UNICEF database as of June 2008 registered 6,273 children having being recruited by LTTE since 2002; of these 1,415 cases remain outstanding, including 133 children who were under 18 years as of June 2008. Other child rights violations related to conflict such as gender based violence, neglect, and child abuse," the report said.
