Iran war fuel costs force Cambodian children out of school

Sou Sreynich, 13, from a floating village on Cambodia's Tonle Sap lake, started school at age 10 because her mother feared the boat ride. Now, soaring gasoline prices due to the Iran war mean her fishing family cannot afford fuel for deeper waters, forcing her to skip school days to work. Teachers say 10 students have drowned on the lake over the years, and climate change worsens floods and droughts.

The United Nations Children's Fund reports the war could push up to 23.4 million more children into poverty by year-end, with 80% in Africa and Asia. In Vietnam, sisters Ly, 16, and Nhi, 13, dropped out to work in a Hanoi restaurant after their father lost his fishing job when diesel prices spiked. The nonprofit Blue Dragon Children's Foundation helped them return to school in April.

Higher fuel costs are driving up expenses for transport, supplies, and electricity for schools. Developing countries reliant on imported energy are hit hardest. Education Above All Foundation warns the war may force millions of children out of school or prevent them from enrolling at all.