UNICEF Report: Children Under Siege in Syria
The number of Syrian children who need humanitarian assistance has more than doubled in a year — according to a new report published today by UNICEF. The most hard hit: up to a million children trapped in areas of Syria that are under siege or are hard to reach because of violence.
Under Siege – the devastating impact on children of three years of conflict in Syria uses both statistics and stories to document the damage caused to the lives of 5.5 million children.
- 10,000 + children have lost their lives
- nearly 3 million are out of school, 40% of all school-age children
- 8,000 + children have crossed Syria's borders without parents
- 4.3 million children are affected inside Syria
- 1.2 million children are refugees
Four-year-old Adnan fled with his family to Lebanon, suffered facial scarring when his home was bombed and still suffers from emotional distress. “He cries all night,” his mother is quoted as saying. “He is scared of everything and is afraid when we leave him, even for a second.” Under Siege also describes UNICEF's response as part of the world's largest humanitarian relief operation. Highlights:
- 10 million people provided with access to clean water in Syria
- More than 9 million children vaccinated against polio regionwide
- Nearly 1 million children given psychosocial support in four countries
Download the full report: [PDF]
12-year-old Safaa cries as she tells a UNICEF staff member about her family's harrowing journey from their home in Syria to the Kawergosk camp in Iraq's Kurdistan region. © UNICEF/NYHQ2013-1419/Noorani
