Red Cross Raises Alarm Over 14,000 Missing Children In Nigeria

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said that over 14,000 out of 25,000 people who have been reported missing in Nigeria, are children. 

There are over 35 active armed conflicts in Africa today; thousands of people, including children cross borders, the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of safety and a better life each year. Such movements often entail great risk, including the risk of disappearance. Documented cases of missing persons are on the rise; however, the ICRC warns that the actual figures are much higher.

"Sadly, the almost 14,000 children registered does not capture the full scope of this often-neglected and tragic humanitarian issue. There is no doubt that there are more children whose fate remains unknown, Yann Bonzon, Head of the Delegation for the ICRC in Nigeria, said,

 Kidnapping has also become rampant in many parts of Nigeria. The northern part of the country has increasingly become a hub for large criminal gangs who raid villages, killing and taking residents hostage, after looting and torching homes.