The insurgency war in the North East has continued to take a toll on children with 83 of them used as ‘human bombs’ this year, the United Nations Children Fund has said.

This is a matter of great concern to the agency as it has gone on for some years.

“Children have been used repeatedly in this way over the last few years and so far this year, the number of children used is already four times higher than it was for all of last year,” UNICEF said in a statement on Tuesday.

Of the 83 children used as human bombs, 55 were girls (most often under the age of 15 years old), 27 were boys and one was a baby strapped to a girl, according to the UN body.

Warning that the use of children in that way is an atrocity, UNICEF put the blame on Boko Haram terrorists.

“The armed group commonly known as Boko Haram has sometimes, but not always, claimed responsibility for these attacks, which target the civilian population,” it said.

The development has created fear and suspicion among residents in the region for children and those who escape from the terrorists have a hard time getting accepted back into the society.

Despite the progress made by the military in the war against insurgency, the insurgency war has dragged on and its devastating effects have led to fears of a humanitarian crisis with millions displaced.

The use of children as human bombs, according to UNICEF, is taking place in the context of a massive displacement and malnutrition crisis – a combination that is also deadly for children.

It added, “There are 1.7 million people displaced by the insurgency in the northeast, 85 per cent of them in Borno State, where most of these attacks take place.

“Northeast Nigeria is one of four countries and regions facing the spectre of famine, with up to 450,000 children at risk of severe acute malnutrition this year.”

Beyond raising the alarm about the plight of children in the region, the agency says it “is providing psychosocial support for children who have been held by Boko Haram and is also working with families and communities to foster the acceptance of children when they return”.

This includes providing social and economic reintegration support to the children and their families, the statement added.