Hundreds of thousands of Syrian children, who have already been forced to flee their homes, are facing a second devastating onslaught amid reports that preparations are being made for an offensive on Idlib province in the war-stricken country.
Many children who suffered loss and trauma during earlier attacks on Eastern Ghouta, East Aleppo and other hot spots sought refuge in Idlib and are now at renewed risk from a potentially deadly escalation of the conflict.
Key statistics:
- A measure of the impact on children came in a recent survey of primary school students in Syria which found that over 80% across the country felt anxious, worried, or stressed. The majority had seen a shelling or bombing and nearly half the students interviewed had seen people wounded in the conflict.*
- Two out of every three children have lost a loved one, had their house bombed or shelled, or suffered war-related injuries. Many are suffering from severe emotional and mental distress.***
- 2017 was the deadliest year for children in Syria**. In 2018, we’re seeing the highest levels of displacement; in just the first four months of this year, nearly one million people were displaced.
“We are deeply concerned for the hundreds of thousands of children in Idlib. During seven years of war, these children have seen and experienced things that no child ever should. Places that should be safe like schools, hospitals, houses and playgrounds have all come under attack. We fear that the same will now happen in Idlib if the warring parties do not pull back from the brink,” said Save the Children CEO, Bill Chambers.
Save the Children welcomes Canada’s leadership in its response to the crisis in Syria, which ensures that multi-year humanitarian funding is available in order to address the persistent and protracted needs of civilians within the chaos. In addition, Save the Children welcomes the flexibility in recent funding announcements which allow for recipients to respond to needs as these emerge.
In its ongoing assessment of changing needs inside Syria, Save the Children is urging the Government of Canada to ensure the particular needs of vulnerable children in Idlib are met, including through support to mental health and other measures to protect children’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
“Canada’s approach to humanitarian assistance in Syria and the broader region has been welcome. It sends a positive model to other countries on the need to contribute a combination of both flexible and longer term funding, recognizing the protracted nature of this crisis and the rapidly changing needs of those impacted by the conflict,” said Chambers.
Save the Children also urges Canada to continue its leadership in pushing for respect of the rules of war, which help protect children and other civilians during conflicts.
Save the Children is currently running programming in education, protection, health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, which has reached over two million children in Syria and in our responses across the region.
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Notes to Editors
*Status of Early Primary Education in Syria: War Stressor Survey, September 2017 (DFID)
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