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After ten years of the war in Syria, 90 percent of the children need urgent support. Around 12.000 children have been killed or injured since the war began, reports UNICEF. The violence, the economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic are driving families to the edge of the abyss.
The Syria war leaves the life and future of a generation of children hanging by a thread, warns UNICEF, as the conflict nears the 10-year mark. The situation of many children and families is still precarious. Almost 90 percent of children need humanitarian aid, an increase of 20 percent in the past year alone. "This cannot just be another grim milestone that passes in the peripheral vision of the world as children and families fight on in Syria," says UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.
“Humanitarian needs cannot wait. The international community should make every effort to build peace in Syria and mobilize support for the country's children. "
A decade of the Syrian war has had a devastating impact on children and families in Syria:
- In the past year, the price of a basket of groceries has increased by over 230 percent;
- More than half a million children under five in Syria suffer from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition;
- Almost 2,45 million children in Syria and another 750.000 Syrian children in neighboring countries are out of school; 40 percent of them are girls;
- According to verified data, between 2011 and 2020:
- Almost 12.000 children killed or injured;
- Over 5.700 children recruited for the fights;
- More than 1.300 educational and medical facilities and personnel attacked;
- The reported number of children showing symptoms of psychosocial distress doubled in 2020 as the continued violence, shock and trauma were significant
have on children's mental health, with both short and long-term consequences.
The situation in northern Syria is particularly alarming. Millions of children are still on the run in the northwest. Many families had to flee several times in search of safety, some up to seven times. They have had another long winter - with horrific weather, including torrential rain and snow. They live in tents, shelters and destroyed or unfinished buildings. More than 75 percent of the serious acts of violence recorded in 2020 took place in northwest Syria.
There are 27.500 children of at least 60 nationalities and thousands of Syrian children associated with armed groups in camps and detention centers in Al-Hol camp and across northeast Syria. Violence has increased recently in Al-Hol, putting children's lives at risk and underscoring the need for long-term solutions; especially the reintegration into local communities or the safe return of children to their countries of origin.
In addition, the number of refugee children in neighboring countries - who continue to generously accept 83 percent of the total number of Syrian refugees worldwide - has increased more than tenfold since 2012 to 2,5 million. This represents an additional burden for the already overwhelmed communities.
Photo / Video: UNICEF.
