Civil war in Syria has continued for three years; humanitarian groups say that children are affected most severely. In response, children’s charity Viva is leading an effort to tend to the needs of Syrian children along with two other groups.
Syrian political scientist Salem Kawakibi wrote that children are affected by the war more than adults because they have more medical, nutritional, schooling and psychological needs.
Since the start of the civil war, millions of Syrias have become refugees, fleeing to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq Christian Today reports.
100,000 people have been killed in the conflict; 11,000 of those were children.
“The main consequence of violent displacement is the disintegration of family structures,” Kawakibi wrote. “Part of this relates to the increase in violence within families resulting from proximity, tensions, anxieties and violence endured by adults.”
Viva head of network development Brian Wilkinson affirmed that the team of aid organizations will work to ensure that the children’s needs are met.
“Our partnership with Food for the Hungry exchanges Viva’s considerable expertise in child protection and child participation with the opportunity for us to gain valuable experience in emergency situations,” Wilkinson said.
Publication date: May 1, 2014