5 Million Children Suffer in War-Torn Syria
The United Nations organization UNICEF has released a report that claims over 5 million children are in urgent need of help in war-torn Syria. Over 10,000 children have died since the conflict began in 2011.
Almost 3 million children are displaced within Syria, over a million have fled the country and live as refugees in neighbouring states. UNICEF claims that 3 million children (40% of all school-age children) in Syria cannot get a proper education because some schools are used as military shelters, others have been destroyed by bombing.
Among the most serious problems that children face are malnutrition and illnesses. Many suffer from the psychological effects of living in a war region. Most victims have lost at least one family member, some have become orphans.
Boys are being forced to work in low paid jobs, girls are often brought to other families where they have to marry young men. In addition, many Syrian boys have been recruited by rebels to fight against the regime of President Assad.
UNICEF has called for an end to violence and special protection for children in the war area. In many cases they are cut off from aid and medical help, live in damaged houses and do not have enough food supplies.
The civil war in Syria is in its fourth year. According to UNICEF it is the most dangerous conflict for children to be in.
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Words
- according to = as said by…
- aid = help
- civil war = war in which two groups of the same country fight against each other
- claim = to say that something is true
- cut off = you cannot get things any more
- displaced = someone who had to leave their home because of a war or a natural disaster
- flee-fled = escape , run away from something
- food supplies = food you need to survive
- illness = disease
- in addition = also
- low paid = to get little money for the work you do
- malnutrition = when someone becomes weak or ill because they have not eaten enough good food
- need = when you have to have something to survive
- orphan = a child whose parents are both dead
- proper = right, real
- recruit = enlist, hire
- refugee = someone who had or leave their country , especially during a war or out of political reasons
- regime = government, rule
- release = to make something public, for everyone to see
- serious = grave, life threatening
- shelter = place to live
- suffer = to feel pain
- urgent = very important
- victim = here: children who suffer
- war-torn = area that is being destroyed in a war