2016 worst year for children in Syria: UNICEF

SYRIA, UNICEF, 13.03.2017 -  UNICEF reported Monday, hundreds of children were killed in Syria in 2016, the most since UNICEF began keeping records.   

Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF’s Middle East regional chief said “the depth of suffering is unprecedented.”   

According to the report the number of children killed in the war is the highest tally since UNICEF began verifying the number of deaths in the conflict. Monday’s report says schools, hospitals, playgrounds and other areas children usually use are becoming increasingly unsafe as they are targets for attacks. UNICEF says at least 255 children were killed in or near schools in 2016.

 
The grim report adds 6 million children in Syria depend on humanitarian aid, but about 250,000 children remain in besieged areas, cut off from receiving aid. A lack of medical assistance and doctors has lead to more children dying from easily treatable illnesses or injuries the report added.