| Date: 03/08/2012 Time: 11:08:00 PM |
As violence engulfs many parts of Syria,
UNICEF said on Friday it was "alarmed" that children continue to bear the
greatest brunt of the tragedy.
UNICEF said in a statement that it is working with its partners to deliver
urgently needed assistance to hundreds of thousands of children and families
who have fled their homes to escape the fighting.
Families sheltering in schools, mosques and other public buildings in
Damascus and beyond, the statement said, are receiving hygiene kits,
mattresses, blankets, as well as food and other items for their children.
Despite deteriorating security conditions and limited access in many areas,
UNICEF and its partners were able to expand these and similar activities to
reach around 94,000 people, the vast majority of them children and adolescents.
"As the eyes of the world focus on the mounting violence in Syria, we must
not overlook the fact that while children are not responsible for this
tragedy, they're paying a terrible price," said UNICEF Executive Director
Anthony Lake.
UNICEF supports "people of conscience" everywhere calling on all parties to
do everything in their power to protect the innocents, he said, adding that
the deteriorating situation is driving civilians to flee Syria to neighbouring
countries in ever increasing numbers.
UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies provide essential services,
including water, sanitation, education and psychosocial support, to more than
130,000 Syrian refugees - around half of them children and adolescents - who
are registered in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. |