11 years of war in Syria, children live in catastrophic conditions

Eleven years after the start of the conflict, Syria is still not a safe place for children, Save the Children’s Syria Response Director, Sonia Khush, said on Tuesday.

“Living through this kind of violence, grief and loss, and being uprooted in some cases several times, as well as a lack of opportunity to build a better future, has had a profound impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing,” Khush added.

After 11 years of conflict, children across Syria remain in catastrophic conditions, living in unsanitary, unsafe camps, Save the Children said.

Across the country, 6,5 million children need humanitarian assistance, 2,5 million children are out of school and close to 800,000 children are malnourished.

Theconflict across Northern Syria is still causing civilian casualties and forcing families from their homes, Save the Children noted.

Around 12 million people, 55% of the population, are food insecure. Families are significantly reducing the amount of food they eat and most depend entirely on humanitarian assistance.

In northeast Syria, communities are grappling with an escalating water crisis due to drought, low levels of water in key rivers, and lack of access to damaged water station infrastructure, Save the Children indicated.

Because of the lack of clean running water, many mothers are going without food to prioritize spending money on drinking water.

Save the Children has been working in Syria since 2012, reaching over five million beneficiaries, including more than three million children across the country.