UNICEF: One in Five Suicide Bombers Used by Boko Haram Are Children

The number of children involved in Boko Haram suicide attacks has increased dramatically, said a UNICEF report on April 12.

Wednesday Dec. 24, 2014 file photo, shows Zahra'u Babangida, a 13 year-old girl arrested with explosives strapped to her body in Kano Nigeria. The number of child bombers used by the Islamic extremists of Boko Haram has increased 10-fold in a year. AP Photo/File

The number of children involved in Boko Haram suicide attacks has increased dramatically, said a UNICEF report on April 12.

The number increased from 4 in 2014—to 44 in 2015. UNICEF reported that over the past 2 years, 1 in 5 suicide bombers was a child and 75 percent of the children involved in Boko Haram attacks were girls.

“Let us be clear: These children are victims, not perpetrators,” said Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF regional director for West and Central Africa.

“Deceiving children and forcing them to carry out deadly acts has been one of the most horrific aspects of the violence in Nigeria and in neighboring countries,” he added.

Salta Bintou Hassan is 11. She lost her arm after a suicide attack on Baga Sola market in October 2015. After spending two months in the hospital of N'Djamena, she is back with her family. Yet, her life will never be the same. Photo courtesy: UNICEF

Police officers stand guard following a suicide bomb explosion at a bus station in Kano, Nigeria, Feb. 24, 2015.  AP Photo/Sani Maikatanga, File

An estimated 1.3 million children have been displaced in the four countries affected by Boko Haram. About 1,800 schools have been closed, and 5,000 children were reportedly unaccompanied or separated from their parents.

In six years, Boko Haram has killed 20,000 people and has displaced 2.8 million from their homes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.