UNICEF describes release of #DapchiGirls as a welcomed development
The United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has welcomed news that the girls abducted on 19 February 2018 from a school in Dapchi, Yobe state, northeast Nigeria were returned to their families.
According to the Nigerian government and media reports, over 100 girls have been returned.
“We are pleased to see that the girls are back in the safe environment of their families.
“UNICEF is working closely with the Ministry of Youth in Yobe state to provide the necessary support to the girls and their families. Over the past month, the girls may have been exposed to physical and sexual violence. They need the support of their families and communities to feel safe and return to school.
In a statement gotten by HealthNews.NG, UNICEF announced it is also working with civil society organizations to ensure that each girl receives individual attention – from medical treatment to psychosocial support.
“We offer our condolences to the families whose daughters could not come home. As we await further confirmation, five girls have reportedly died. UNICEF grieves with the families who lost their daughters.
“UNICEF renews its calls for the release of all missing girls. Schools should be safe spaces, and protected at all times. Since the start of the insurgency in 2009, over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 displaced, and almost 1,400 schools destroyed.”