A UNICEF report shows that 2016 has been the "worst year" for children in Syria, where young people have "come under attack on a daily basis."
In its report, UNICEF writes that cases of children being killed, maimed, and recruited increased sharply last year in a "drastic escalation of violence across the country."
UNICEF recorded a 20% increase in the number of the violent deaths of children in 2016, with at least 652 children dying. This graphic shows some of the worse violations committed against Syrian children:
"The depth of suffering is unprecedented. Millions of children in Syria come under attack on a daily basis, their lives turned upside down," Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa said in a statement. "Each and every child is scarred for life with horrific consequences on their health, well-being, and future."
There are still an estimated 280,000 children living under siege in Syria, meaning they are almost completely cut off from humanitarian aid, and nearly six million children now depend on humanitarian assistance.
Since the war in Syria began in 2011, over 310,000 people have been killed and millions have been forced to flee their homes. There are now over 2.3 million Syrian child refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.
The whole report is available here.
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