Iran War Fuel Spike Threatens Schooling for 23.4 Million More Children
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 17
Iran War Fuel Spike Threatens Schooling for 23.4 Million More Children
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 17
Summary
23.4 million more children could be pushed into poverty by year-end if the Iran war continues, UNICEF says, worsening the risk that millions miss school or never enroll.
Higher gasoline and diesel prices are raising the cost of getting students and teachers to school, supplying classrooms and running education programs, while squeezing government budgets for health and education.
Cambodia’s Tonle Sap and Vietnam’s fishing coast show the pressure on poor families: children skip classes to work, and some drop out after fuel costs cut fishing income and jobs.
80% of the newly impoverished children would be in Africa and Asia, where import-dependent economies also face higher fertilizer costs, weaker remittances and added strain on school meal programs.
Girls in South Asia may be hit harder as families prioritize sons, aid groups warn, increasing risks of dropout, child labor, trafficking and child marriage.