Majority of Libya's 2 million children still missing out on school
Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:11 GMT
A Libyan boy is pictured as he plays on a beach in Benghazi June 26, 2011. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Most of Libya's 2 million children are still missing out on crucially important education as almost all the country's schools that closed due to the conflict have yet to reopen, Save the Children says.
The warning comes 100 days after NATO began its current military operation in the North African country.
The charity says the lack of regular schooling is making it harder for children to cope with the trauma of living through a conflict. Children forced to flee their homes are particularly badly affected, as a survey by Libyan psychologists showed more than 1 in 10 showing symptoms such as bed wetting, nightmares or stammering.
Although it's impossible to tell what is happening in many areas where fighting continues, due to restrictions on aid agencies' access, the charity is warning that schools may not even be able to open in September to start the new school year. This could have dangerous long-term effects on the safety and psychological wellbeing of children. It urged authorities to do everything possible to ensure that some schools will be open again.
El Khidir Daloum, Save the Children UK's Middle East Regional Director, said:
"We are really worried that children will fall behind in their education if schools stay closed. But it's also about helping kids deal with the disruption and trauma they are facing as a result of the conflict. Many are suffering symptoms of stress and shock. Getting them back in school will provide a safe, routine environment in which they can begin to recover."
Many schools, including 43 in the eastern city of Benghazi, are closed because they are housing people who have fled the fighting. Some schools remain closed in solidarity with those still shut due to fighting in other parts of the country.
In addition, many parents are worried about letting their children go to school.
Daloum said: "There are a lot of armed men around, often firing into the air, so parents don't like to let their children out of the house."
Save the Children, working with UNICEF, is supporting informal activities for over 8000 children in schools and community centres in the east of the country, and is also running child resilience workshops for 10 to14-year-olds, many of whom were displaced by the fighting.
The charity is also training teachers to help the education system cope with traumatised children, and to support the reopening of the schools.
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