Save The Children

Talk about your root causes of terrorism:

More than 43 million children living in war-torn countries are prevented from going to school, according to a report released by Save the Children.

In many cases, schools have been destroyed or commandeered by armed forces, teachers have been killed or forced to flee because they are government employees or community leaders, and children have been recruited and forced to participate in the violence, according to the report, which focuses on 30 countries.

"Today the majority of victims from war are civilians, not soldiers, and those left destitute are mostly children," said Charlie MacCormack, president and chief executive of the Westport-based humanitarian organisation. "The world cannot stand by, leaving these children without education and without hope or opportunity, in some cases for generations."

The report is part of Save the Children's five-year "Rewrite the Future" education initiative that will be launched Tuesday by more than 40 countries. The campaign will try to help millions of children in conflict-affected areas gain access to education.