(The Guardian) – Not long after civil war began to ravage the Central African Republic in 2013, a fifth grade girl named Dorcas returned to her school hoping to see the familiar faces of teachers and friends. Instead, she encountered armed men who had taken over the school, ransacked it and burned benches and textbooks. “I burst into tears,” she said. “It took away my last hope.” At a time when more than 30 countries around the world are officially experiencing humanitarian crises, including protracted crises, and more than half of the world’s out-of-school children live in countries plagued by war and violence, Dorcas’ words reflect the fear and desperation that all too many children face in the wake of natural disasters, major health emergencies and devastating armed conflicts.
