About 190 schools in North Kivu closed this year, adding to the 540 closed last year.

Some schools turned into displacement camps; others were seized by armed groups; and some were directly attacked.

The DRC’s humanitarian response plan for this year is only about 14% funded.

In the first three months of this year, about 190 schools have been closed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) North Kivu province.

That is already at 35% of the 540 schools closed last year, according to Save The Children.

“Among the affected schools are 24 that have been seized by armed groups, 10 that have been directly attacked, and 29 that have been used as an emergency shelter for displaced families.

“Additionally, over the past year, there have been at least two reported cases of teachers being kidnapped, along with two incidents involving the abduction of students either at school or on their way to class,” Save The Children said in a statement.

The organisation said schools in areas such as Ituri and South Kivu have been affected by the conflict spilling into neighbouring provinces.

The school closures resulted in about 270 000 children being removed from the schooling environment. A large number of them were forced into becoming child soldiers and are victims of sexual violence.

Attacks on schools create lasting emotional and psychological scars on children and might impair their development, Save the Children said.