Residents fleeing a Syrian government bombardment in the rebel-held town of Hamouria in eastern Ghouta. World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in eastern Ghouta which UN chief Antonio Guterres called hell on earth but Moscow and Damascus say they target only militants. PHOTO: AFP
New York, March 24 (IANS/WAM) The war on children in Syria continues relentlessly and with no mercy, UN children's agency Unicef has said.
"Across Idlib, 1 million children live amid escalating violence and attacks. Unicef is calling on those fighting in Idlib to spare children in East Ghouta, Afrin and other parts of Syria," said Geert Cappelaere, the agency's Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa, on Friday.
"We received reports that an underground shelter where children took refuge came under attack earlier this week. Even shelters were no longer safe in the war-torn country.
"Heavy violence -- just 300 metres from a Unicef-supported school in Idlib, forced children attending classes, to seek shelter in an improvised shelter nearby. The building was later hit and 17 children were reportedly killed," Cappelaere said.
