UNICEF condemns attack on religious school in Peshawar

 27 October 2020 – UNICEF strongly condemns the attack on a religious school which took place in Peshawar earlier today, reportedly killing at least seven people and injuring more than 75 — some of them children and teachers.

“Education is the fundamental right of every girl and boy, everywhere. Schools must never be targeted. They must remain safe learning environments at all times to protect the growth and healthy development of children, adolescents and young people,” said UNICEF’s Pakistan Representative Ms. Aida Girma.

According to several reports, the blast occurred as students were attending an early morning class at Jamia Zubairia Madrasa in the Dir Colony Area of Pakistan’s northwestern city. This comes two years after an attack on a school in Chitral in October 2019, and a string of attacks on a dozen schools ─ most of them for girls ─ in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district in August 2018.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For more information, please contact:

Alexandra Murdoch, 0207 375 6179, [email protected]

Unicef UK Media Team, 0207 375 6030, [email protected] 

About Unicef

Unicef is the world’s leading organisation for children, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

Unicef UK raises funds to protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow’s children. As a registered charity we raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign to keep children safe. Unicef UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and with local authorities in the UK.

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