African wars killed five million sick children in 20 years: study

Post-election violence in the 2017 general elections in Kenya. Youth burn tires to block roads as they riot. [File, Standard]

Five million children in Africa have died from preventable diseases over the last 20 years because armed conflict deprived them of access to basic healthcare or clean water, scientists said on Thursday.

A study published in The Lancet medical journal showed conflict in countries such as Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo had contributed to the deaths of up to 5 million children under five between 1995 and 2015.