Out of the 6,515 schools due to open in the 2022/2023 school year, only 3,013 were operational (at least 54% of schools are still closed), insecurity being the main reason”.

This was revealed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in a recent report on the humanitarian situation in Cameroon. “Many children in the affected areas do not have safe access to education, with the exception of non-formal education provided by some partners“, the report states.

The UN also reports that in urban areas that have received large numbers of displaced people, schools are in high demand and there is not enough space to accommodate more children. “Some of them have to travel long distances to get to school, which exposes them to various protection risks. Some children who remain in rural areas where schools are not operational benefit from non-formal learning,” says the document.

“However, funds are limited to reach all children in need and enable them to access formal or non-formal learning opportunities where possible“, the international organisation laments.