NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The destruction of hundreds of schools during fighting between the Pakistani army and Taliban militants has left more than half a million children with little hope of education, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

The army offensive against militants in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) resulted in one of largest internal displacements in recent times. About 2.3 million people fled their homes, most after fighting intensified in April.

But as displaced families leave the shelter of camps and host communities to go home, they are finding many of their children’s schools in ruins.

“The impact of the fighting has been quite dramatic on schools and students in NWFP,” Luc Chauvin, deputy representative for the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Pakistan, told Reuters AlertNet in a telephone interview.

“Some of the girls’ schools were blown up by the Taliban before the fighting, while other schools were destroyed during the active conflict,” he said.

Chauvin said about 230 schools had been “completely flattened,” while about 410 schools had been damaged with collapsed walls and roofs caused by mortar fire, rocket-propelled grenades or bombs.

The Taliban, who oppose female education, blew up girls’ schools when they controlled the Swat area for about two years. They attacked other empty schools because soldiers often used them as camps.

Chauvin said more than 4,000 other primary and secondary schools also needed to be renovated. Many had been converted into shelters to accommodate people fleeing the fighting.

“Lots of schools need to be cleaned up, repainted and refurnished after so many people have been living there and things have been stolen or furniture burned as firewood,” he said.

TARGETING SCHOOLS

Humanitarian workers, who are assessing how to help war-ravaged areas such as the Swat valley, say schools are amongst the worst-hit infrastructure.

Despite areas being declared safe, militants are still operating and have been carrying out revenge attacks by burning down more schools and attacking students.

Chauvin said a lack of schooling for more than half a million children would be a devastating blow to people desperate to get back to normal life.

“When children go to school it creates a sense of normalcy and this is what returning populations need,” said Chauvin. “But this is impossible if the schools no longer exist.”

Aid workers say it is imperative to invest in poverty alleviation and development projects in NWFP, which has become a fertile ground for recruiting militants, but the humanitarian community in Pakistan is struggling to find funds.

The United Nations has only received 3 percent of the funds required to restore basic services such as water and electricity systems, and hospitals and clinics.

Chauvin said schools were also being neglected with donors only funding 17 percent of the $23.2 million required.

“There seems to be consensus that education is key but when it comes to action, education is sometimes the forgotten child.”