In Syria, last year was the worst yet for the country’s rising generation, with at least 652 children killed, the United Nations’ child relief agency said on Monday.
There was no let up to attacks on schools, hospitals, playgrounds, parks and homes as the Syrian government, its opponents and the allies of both sides showed callous disregard for the laws of war.
UNICEF said at least 255 children were killed in or near schools last year and 1.7 million youngsters are out of school. One of every three schools in Syria is unusable, some because armed groups occupy them. An additional 2.3 million Syrian children are refugees elsewhere in the Middle East.
The figures came in a UNICEF report released ahead of the sixth anniversary later this week of the 2011 popular uprising against President Bashar Assad’s rule. The uprising, which was part of the Arab Spring movements across the Middle-East, quickly escalated into full-blown civil war.
Children were among the first victims of the government’s brutal crackdown.
The UNICEF report warns that for Syria’s young generation, coping mechanisms and medical care are eroding quickly, driving children into child labor, early marriage and combat. Dozens of children are also dying from preventable diseases. A report released a week ago by the international charity Save the Children said Syrian youngsters are showing signs of “toxic stress” that can lead to lifelong health problems, struggles with addiction and mental disorders lasting into adulthood.
The use of child soldiers is on the rise in Syria, UNICEF also said. At least 851 children were recruited by armed factions last year.
