[HIGHLIGHTS] UNICEF: International crises undermine efforts to combat child marriage

UNICEF estimates that 12 million girls enter into child marriage each year. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said: "The world is mired in crises that crush the dreams of girls who should become students, not brides" Child marriage is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by South Asia, where one in four girls still marries before the age of 4.

Rapid population growth, coupled with the ongoing crises in the region, appears to be leading to an increase in the number of child brides.