UNICEF: Eight Million Syrian Children Depend on Emergency Assistance Now

At present, 8.1 million Syrian children are still dependent on emergency aid, reports UNICEF in a new report released Friday. In 2018 alone, six hundred children were killed or maimed and twelve hundred serious violations of the rights of the child were recorded.

Among children in need of emergency assistance, 5.6 million live in Syria and 2.5 million live in neighboring countries. They fled Syria over the years

The conflict in the country has been going on for seven years now. All these years of struggle have resulted in countless destroyed homes, millions of deaths and millions of people who have fled their homes.

Although the war is not over yet, about 750,000 people are already in Syria in the first half of this year. come home. However, there is often still little to do and few facilities.

One in three schools was destroyed, UNICEF said. In Syria, more than two million children do not go to school and 33% of children are not vaccinated against diseases such as polio or measles. Child marriages take place in two-thirds of communities.

"In the beginning, the Syrians focused on survival, but now they are slowly trying to pick up the thread," says Salam Abdulmunem Al Janabi, UNICEF spokesperson in Syria. Seven out of ten Syrians currently live in poverty, the highest percentage since the beginning of the war, and one in three Syrians does not have access to clean water.

"Intentions are often good, but the consequences are not"

. "Poverty drives people to make bad decisions," says Janabi. "Intentions are often good, but the consequences are not the following: child marriages are a good example: parents think they help their child or themselves because they have less to eat, but in the long run, that does not hold. "

Children are also put to work at a very young age." I saw six or seven year old children working in garages or in metallurgical companies, which is dangerous and unhealthy. "

" Syria needs 45 million euros of basic aid "

Nevertheless, Al Janabi gradually sees the situation change a bit." We have already reaches 85% of areas, including rural areas, isolated areas and areas of opposition. "

According to UNICEF figures, 1.9 million people have now benefited from the fact that they have been affected. a basic help, such as soap, detergents and diapers.In the coming months, the organization needs 45 mi There are € 5 million to meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable children in Syria and neighboring countries.

Al Janabi worries about the coming winter. Still, he keeps hope. "We have already registered four million children who are going to school this year and if they have hope, we also have it".

He cites the example of a school located in a rural area outside of Homs. "Four or five years ago, we did not have access to the area yet, but now 1,250 boys go to" school "in this area, that is to say that they go to a building without windows or doors every day, but with a school board. "

The conflict arose in the Arab Spring

The conflict in Syria began in 2011 during the Arab Spring , which had been initiated by popular protests in countries such as Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Syria. In March of the same year, the Syrian Army

peacefully protested demonstrations such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran, began to interfere in the dispute. At the same time, the Islamic State (IS) also strengthened its position in Syria, after which the United States and various European countries were also involved in the attacks and carried out bomb attacks.

Situation Syria