UNICEF in Syria: World cannot become numb to killing of children

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) operations in Syria, Fran Equiza, “strongly denounced the rising number of child casualties” in the country.

“The grim tally of children killed in Syria in the past two weeks has increased daily as violence escalates in several areas across the country,” Equiza said in a statement on Friday.

“Nearly seven years into the conflict, children continue to be the hardest hit by unprecedented destruction, displacement, and death. They have lost lives, homes, and childhoods. Enough is enough,” the statement added.

According to UNICEF, in the past few days, at least 23 children have reportedly been killed due to the conflict in Afrin, Idlib, Saraqab, Khan Shaykun, and Damascus.

The UN agency noted that the Jan. 22 attack in Damascus was the heaviest in weeks, which allegedly occurred as children were leaving school.

It also stated that the displaced families who fled from violence are living in extremely difficult conditions and are exposed to the harsh winter while others have reportedly been prevented from leaving areas of hospitality.

“In Afrin, violence is reported to be so intense that families are confined to the basements of their building,” according to UNICEF, adding that some have reportedly been prevented from leaving the area.

The agency noted that the majority of shops in Afrin are closed, and UNICEF-supported child protection services have been suspended.

“Wars have laws, and these laws are being broken every single day in Syria,” Equiza stated, calling all conflicting parties to protect children at all times and to allow safe passage to all people wishing to leave areas under attack.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also announced on Friday that the military operation in Afrin had forced them to temporary halt humanitarian shipments across the border from Turkey into Syria.

During the past week, 123 trucks of humanitarian aid have been put on hold, according to Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN relief wing.

Turkish forces have launched a military offensive against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) region of Afrin, opening a new front in the nearly seven-year-old Syrian war.

The campaign includes the use of air power, artillery, and ground troops which has alarmed UNICEF and other humanitarian organizations in the area.  

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany