The number of child refugees fleeing the violence in Syria has now topped the 1 million mark. UN agencies say three-quarters of those are under the age of 11.
UNICEF and the UNHCR have described the crisis as the largest humanitarian operation in history.
Both UN agencies warned that additional funds are critically needed to address children’s immediate needs and that all parties to the conflict, now in its third year, must stop targeting civilians and end the recruitment of children.
Peter Power, Executive Director, UNICEF Ireland said "The reports from Syria of attacks on children in recent days are extremely disturbing and a tragic reminder that this crisis has gone on for too long and that children are suffering unimaginable horrors. This must stop".
"One million children, the majority under 11 years of age, have now fled their homes. The children we meet at the borders urgently need water, food, shelter and medical care. Syrian children need help to regain a sense of normalcy and hope for the future before their childhood is lost forever. One way that UNICEF hopes to achieve this is by ensuring that every Syrian child can return to school in the coming weeks" he added.
The UN has launched new campaigns to raise awareness of the crisis
The UNHCR's Aoife McDonnell at the Za’atari Camp in Jordan said "In the past two years, I've witnessed children as young as two days old, cradled in their mothers arms, crossing the border".
"I've watched tears rolling down the cheeks of a young girl paralysed by a stray bullet, listened to countless stories from children describing a brother or sister, mother or father lost, and heard the first cries of one of the thousands of babies born in Za’atari Refugee Camp. And yet, everyday, Syrian children inspire a sense of hope in humanity, with their smiles and laughter, serving as an unwavering reminder of why the international community cannot forget this generation" she added.
Children make up half of all refugees from the Syria conflict, according to the two agencies.
Most have arrived in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Increasingly, Syrians are fleeing to North Africa and Europe.
