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Save Syrian children

THERE IS another SOS from international aid agencies on Syria. The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has painted a gloomy picture of the plight of children in the war-torn country.

Around a million children are without food and other basic amenities. Unicef says children are living under siege. An innumerable number has become disabled while scores are dying daily in the absence of food, medicines and proper clothing. Unicef says around 5.5 million children are in a miserable situation with no hopes of succour and at least 10,000 deaths have been reported in the last two years.

This reminder has come at a time when international actors have almost given up hope of finding a negotiated settlement to the dispute that has now entered its fourth year. Diplomacy has taken a backseat and the advances that the regime in Damascus has made, pushing back the rebels, has exacerbated the conflict. Humanitarian aid agencies suspect that children could be recruited to support the fighting.

This is a chilling account and the five-million figure is too big to be ignored. Rehabilitating and saving children should be accorded priority. Around two million children are said to need counselling for trauma, and the Unicef report warns the situation is likely to get worse. The foremost thing that needs to be done is to ensure that aid agencies have access to these children and supplies of daily provision are made available. The difficulties that rescue and aid bodies are facing due to the fighting and absence of open routes must be resolved. The world body should form a counselling consortium to take care of supplies and rehabilitation of the children. The words by Unicef’s executive director, Anthony Lake, should serve as a resolve to act: “This third devastating year for Syrian children must be the last.”

The UN Security Council has already voiced its support for remedial act and that resolution should be implemented without any hiccups. Saving the children is tantamount to saving Syria and its future. Something extraordinary should be done to rescue a dying nation.