The number of teenage pregnancies has increased dramatically in regions of northern Kenya as a result of recent school closures and lockdowns, according to new data from the International Rescue Committee.

In Turkana County, 558 adolescent pregnancies were reported between March and June — almost a threefold increase from the same period last year, the organization said.

The data, sent to Devex but not yet publicly available, is some of the first hard evidence that measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in a rise in early and unintended pregnancies, which could reflect a wider trend. Back in April, the United Nations Population Fund warned there could be a possible rise in the number of unintended pregnancies, including among adolescent girls, as a result of school closures and the suspension of essential services.

“Crisis situations are known to increase adolescent girls’ risk of sexual abuse, exploitation, gender-based violence, and unwanted pregnancies,” said Nathaly Spilotros, adolescent sexual and reproductive health adviser with IRC.

“Without access to critical sexual and reproductive health information, comprehensive sexuality education, as well as sexual and reproductive health services, including contraceptives, we will see increases in unintended adolescent pregnancies,” she added. “This will inevitably contribute to maternal deaths and disability across humanitarian settings.” It also means girls are less likely to return to schools when they reopen. Read more via Devex