Risks of child recruitment by armed groups rise in post-quake Colombia

The recent earthquake in Colombia could increase the risk of child recruitment by armed groups in Chocó and Valle del Cauca, where thousands of children remain out of school in areas already affected by conflict, the UN warned on Friday. The quake damaged more than 3,800 educational facilities and has affected the education of more than one million students. Nearly 178,000 attend schools that suffered serious structural damage. UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia María José Torres Macho said recruitment was already a concern in those areas before the disaster, where illegal armed groups are active. “We are concerned that the situation of children out of school can exacerbate this problem,” she told reporters at UN Headquarters. In Chocó, some rural schools were completely destroyed, others partially collapsed and several remain at imminent risk of collapse.

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