Snatched from their dorm rooms in the dead of night and not seen since, the kidnapped school girls of Chibok are thought to have been sold into slavery.
When Boko Haram abducted nearly 300 girls from their school in North East Nigeria, one year ago, the story became worldwide news. But one year on from the horrific attack, most of the girls are still missing.
Activist and nobel peace laureate, Malala Yousafzai, has today shared an open letter to the Chibok schoolgirls, criticising the Nigerian and international authorities for not doing enough in attempting to return the girls home safely.
"I am one of the millions of people around the world who keep you and your families foremost in our thoughts and prayers. We cannot imagine the full extent of the horrors you have endured. But please know this: We will never forget you. We will always stand with you. Today and every day, we call on the Nigerian authorities and the international community to do more to bring you home. We will not rest until you have been reunited with your families" Malala said, addressing the girls that Boko Haram, and the authorities, have not brought back.
“Still, in my opinion, Nigerian leaders and the international community have not done enough to help you. They must do much more to help secure your release."
Unicef are continuing the fight to release Chibok's stolen girls, and to secure the safety of hundreds of thousands of other children in Nigeria, suffering at the hands of Boko Haram. In a new project which marks the anniversary of the abduction, Unicef's *Missing Childhoods *report estimates that there are 800,000 Nigerian children currently fleeing their homes due to violence. The report states that the number of children on the run in Nigeria, and trying to cross the border into Chad, Niger and Cameroon has more than doubled in the single year since Boko Haram attacked the school in Chibok. To date, Boko Haram have murdered thousands, and left 1.5 million people, mostly women and children, displaced.
Last year, #bringbackourgirls went viral as people took to social media to show support for the safe return of the missing Chibok schoolgirls. Today, Unicef are raising awarenss about the continuing devastating impact of conflict on children throughout Nigeria using the hashtag #bringbackourchildhood, a heartbreaking reminder of the schoolgirls who are yet to return home, and the ongoing problem for Nigeria's children.
Malala posed a rallying cry in her letter today, "I am among many people pressuring them to make sure you are freed,” she said. "Remember that one day your tragic ordeal will end, you will be reunited with your families and friends, and you will have the chance to finish the education you courageously sought."
*Find out more in this week’s Grazia. *
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