2016 worst year for Syrian children: UNICEF

Syria’s children were subjected to unprecedented levels of suffering in 2016, according to the United Nations’ child relief agency UNICEF

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At least 652
Number of children killed during 2016 – worst year since records began

Over 255
Children killed while at or near school

Over 850
Children recruited to fight in conflict – more than twice as many as in 2015. Children increasingly taking part in combat roles

647 Children injured – 25 percent increase from 2015

1.75m Children out of school in Syria. One in three schools cannot be used

530,000 Syrian refugee children out of school

25% Percentage of Syrian children suffering from stunted development in hard-to-reach or besieged areas

75% Percentage of households in Syria using children to supplement their income

25% Percentage of victims of incidents involving explosive weapons that are children

5.8 million 
Children in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria


3m Internally displaced

2.5m Living in hard-to-reach areas

280,000 Living under siege

2.3 million Syrian child refugees living in other countries

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Source: UNICEF 

Picture: Associated Press 

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