South Asia home to world's highest number of child brides - UN

FILE PHOTO: A UNICEF logo is pictured outside their offices in Geneva, Switzerland, January 30, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - South Asia is home to highest number of child brides in the world as increased financial pressures and school closures due to COVID-19 forced families to marry off their young daughters, according to new estimates released by UNICEF on Wednesday.

There were 290 million child brides in the region, accounting for 45% of the global total, the children's agency of the United Nations said, calling for more efforts to end the practice.