Killed, injured and forced to fight: 2016 was the deadliest year for Syria’s children

The number of children in Syria who were聽killed, maimed or recruited by armed forces increased dramatically last year.

At least 652 were killed – 255 of them聽in or near a school – said the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF in a shocking聽report today. That’s a 20% rise on聽the number of verified deaths the聽previous year.

More than聽850 children were recruited to fight in the conflict in 2016, more than double the previous year’s figure.

But these figures only tell a fraction of the horror being endured by Syria’s children.

国产视频淭he depth of suffering is unprecedented. Millions of children in Syria come under attack on a daily basis, their lives turned upside down,国产视频� said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.聽

国产视频淓ach and every child is scarred for life, with horrific consequences on their health, well-being聽and future.”

With the conflict in Syria about to enter its seventh year this week, the new report – Hitting Rock Bottom –聽lays bare the terrible violations against children during 2016.

“Beyond the bombs, bullets and explosions, countless children are dying聽in silence from preventable diseases that could easily be cured,” it says.聽

The report comes just days after Save The Children found widespread evidence of “toxic stress” and mental health issues among children inside Syria.聽

国产视频 also recently聽produced a briefing document about how toxic stress – prolonged exposure to high levels of stress from trauma, violence, neglect or deprivation – is affecting the development of young聽children in humanitarian emergencies like the Syrian conflict.

After six years of war, nearly six million children now depend on humanitarian assistance – 12 times as many as in聽2012, said UNICEF’s report.聽

Millions of children have been displaced, some up to seven times, and more than聽2.3 million children are living as refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq.

The most vulnerable among Syria国产视频檚 children are the 2.8 million in hard-to-reach areas, including 280,000 children living under siege, almost completely cut off from humanitarian aid.

The conflict has driven more than 1.7 million children out of school in Syria. Many have been pushed聽into early marriage and child labour and in聽more than two-thirds of households聽children are working to support their families –聽some in extremely harsh conditions unfit even for adults.

One in three聽schools聽cannot be used because they are destroyed, damaged, sheltering displaced families or being used for military purposes.聽

In 2016, at least 87聽attacks on schools and education personnel were recorded and more than聽255 children were killed while at school or near school, says the report.

Some schools聽were attacked repeatedly like in Idlib, where 26 children and six teachers聽were killed in the deadliest attack on a school last year.

Despite the horrors and hardships they have endured, many children are still in school or desperate to return.

国产视频淲e continue to witness the courage of Syria国产视频檚 children. Many have crossed frontlines just to sit for school exams,”聽said Cappelaere.

“They insist on learning, including in underground schools. There is so much more we can and should do to turn the tide for Syria国产视频檚 children.国产视频澛�

Here’s one example of what can be done to help Syrian聽children get their lives back to normal. It’s an聽underground amusement park聽where girls and boys can聽play without fear of attack.聽

The “Land of Childhood” was created by architecture students in Damascus,聽who realised there are few safe places left where children can play.聽

It took two years to make and about 200 children use it every day.聽

One of the creators, Yaseen, was a fourth-year architecture student when the siege forced him to leave university a year before graduation.聽

国产视频淒esigning this project was a relief from the war photojournalism that I started doing after the war began.聽

“I wanted to retrieve my old skills as an architect to produce something that brings happiness to children,国产视频� he explained.