The United Nations Children’s Fund has called for support and empathy on children formally associated with armed groups in the North East Region.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office Borno, Phuong Nguyen, made the appeal during the commemoration of the 2024 International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers also known as the Red Hands Day, in Maiduguri.
According to her many children in the region were separated from their families, losing the opportunity to go to school and exposed to sexual violence and mental health issues due to traumatic experiences.
UNICEF, since 2017, has supported the social and economic reintegration of more than 9,000 children released from armed groups in Nigeria.