I am devastated to learn of this morning’s kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls in the Zamfara State of Nigeria.

The Global Partnership for Education strongly condemns this attack, which is an unacceptable and gross violation of children’s rights. Children and schools should never be targets of violence.

This is the third attack on schoolchildren in Nigeria in the same number of months.

I join UNICEF and others in calling for the quick and safe release of the girls and for all schools and students to be protected from such brutal acts of violence.