New York, Oct. 17 -- A surge in armed violence, coupled with the economic and social fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, are contributing to worsening conditions for children in the Central Sahel, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on Friday.

The agency said a record 7.2 million children in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger now require humanitarian assistance: a staggering two-thirds jump in just a year.

"Over a million children have been forcibly displaced from their homes", said UNICEF spokesperson Marixie Mercado, speaking from Geneva.

"Safe water - so critical for the survival of young children and for preventing COVID-19 - is scarcer than ever, particularly so among those displaced."

Malnutrition and attacks against education

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