United Nations, Jumada II 26, 1436, Apr 15, 2015, SPA -- About 21 million children in the Middle East and North Africa do not attend school or are at high risk of quitting despite improved access to education in the region over the past decade, the United Nations said in a report Wednesday. Governments in the region, which includes 20 countries from Morocco to Iraq, have invested in education in the past 10 years, helping increase enrollment rates, but progress has slowed in recent years amid conflict, poverty, and discrimination, according to the report by the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “At a time of such change and turmoil, this region simply cannot afford to let 21 million children fall [out of the educational system],” said UNICEF regional director Maria Calivis. “These children must be given the opportunity to acquire the skills they need through education in order to play their part in the region’s transformation.” According to the report, more than 15 million children do not attend school in the region, while another 6 million are considered at high risk of quitting. --SPA 22:39 LOCAL TIME 19:39 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w