Going to school in Aleppo is now ‘a matter of life or death’

For millions of聽children聽around the world, the journey to school is fun. They laugh and play with their friends as they walk or take the bus to their lessons.

Not in Aleppo. In the besieged Syrian city, the trip from home to the classroom is fraught with danger.

国产视频淭here is no safe place left in Aleppo. Even going to school can be a matter of life or death,国产视频� said聽Hanaa Singer, the Syria Representative for the United Nations children国产视频檚 agency UNICEF.

Just back from Aleppo, she was so moved by the plight of its children that she released a lengthy statement today.

Singer said: 国产视频淚 will be forever haunted by the images of the bodies of the two beautiful girls, Hanadi and Lamar, who left for school one morning with pink ribbons in their hair. They never made it.聽

国产视频淪hrapnel from a mortar hit them on the way and they were killed. Hanadi国产视频檚 hand still grasped the remains of a chocolate bar.

国产视频淭his year there have been 84 attacks on schools in Syria with at least 69 children losing their lives and many others injured while being at school.国产视频�

Singer said 国产视频� even by the standards of the five-year Syrian civil war 国产视频� the shelling and bombardment of parts of Aleppo had been 国产视频渢he most intense国产视频�.

More than 31,000 people have been displaced from the city in the past 10 days and half of them appear to be children.聽

The UNICEF Representative travelled to Jibreen on the outskirts of the city, where a shelter for displaced people has been set up in a large warehouse.

国产视频淔amilies huddled together on mattresses on the floor,国产视频� she said. 国产视频淭he damp and piercing cold made the conditions even tougher.

国产视频淭o the soundtrack of the deafening noise of explosions and firing of heavy weapons, the children, who were attending psychosocial support activities, shared some stories.聽

国产视频淭hey shared stories of how they cowered for days and weeks in dark and damp basements in fear of the shelling in besieged east Aleppo. They shared their dark memories of destruction, and the smell of dead bodies under the rubble.

国产视频淭hey said they were happy to be outside, to enjoy the sun and feel the air. To be able to sing and to play. But they missed friends, fathers and elder brothers.聽

国产视频淭hey missed their schools. They missed their books, games and one girl was missing her teddy bear.

国产视频淭he shelling and explosions were unrelenting and deafening. The children laughed at me every time I winced as the terrible sounds of war filled the air 国产视频� not real laughter but an abnormal reaction born out of a complete loss of normalcy.

国产视频淭hey were also afraid. And the greatest fear for all of them was the sound of planes 国产视频� for the aftermath is always horrific.国产视频�

Singer said that聽in the two days she there almost 100 mortars fell on western Aleppo, adding: 国产视频淥nly a few hundred metres away we witnessed the unrelenting bombardment of the eastern side of the city.国产视频�

UNICEF has supplied聽3.2 million Syrian children with text books and school supplies, rehabilitated schools and added thousands of temporary learning spaces.聽

She added: 国产视频淚n my daily work I have always been in awe of the extraordinary stories of children国产视频檚 determination and resilience.聽

Like the 12,000 children who risked their lives to cross active conflict lines聽to sit for their national final exams.

国产视频淭hey came from hard-to-reach areas, travelled for days, through checkpoints, under the fire 国产视频� full of hope and determination for a better future.

国产视频淭hese courageous youngsters are the teachers, nurses, doctors, architects, builders, musicians, scientists and technicians of tomorrow that will build the future Syria.聽

国产视频淭he children of Syria are not giving up and nor can we.国产视频�

Meanwhile, six world leaders today jointly condemned Russia for its role in the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Aleppo.

Barack Obama of the聽United States,聽Theresa May of the United Kingdom, Angela Merkel of Germany, Francois Hollande of France, Justin Trudeau of Canada and Matteo Renzi of Italy聽criticised the Syrian government 国产视频渁nd its foreign backers, especially Russia国产视频�.

Their statement said:聽国产视频淎leppo is being subjected to daily bombings and artillery attacks by the Syrian regime, supported by Russia and Iran.

国产视频淗ospitals and schools have not been spared. Rather, they appear to be the targets of attack in an attempt to wear people down. The images of dying children are heart-breaking.国产视频�