UNICEF team reaches East Ghouta, reports desperate conditions for children

6th March 2018

Children’s agency joins first humanitarian aid convoy to deliver food and health supplies in months

DUBLIN, 06 March 2018 – UNICEF Ireland is deeply saddened to hear about the conditions children and their families in East Ghouta are enduring.

Those dire circumstances were outlined by UNICEF personnel in Syria who returned from a humanitarian aid mission to the cut-off populations of Douma, East Ghouta on Monday.

Five UNICEF trucks were part of a 46-truck inter-agency convoy that travelled into the area, close to the Syrian capital city of Damascus. The trucks, belonging to the UN and the Syrian Red Crescent, delivered food for 27,500 people, in addition to health and nutrition supplies.

UNICEF health, nutrition and logistics experts who travelled with the convoy reported distressing scenes:

The humanitarian teams involved in the convoy were forced to leave the area before their mission was completed, because of renewed shelling. UNICEF personnel were unable to complete their assessments of the situation on the ground for children affected by conflict.

Nearly two million children live in besieged and hard to reach areas of Syria.

Violence in Syria is ongoing in Idlib, Afrin, in Deir-ez-Zor, in Damascus, and in parts of Aleppo. During the first two months of the year, UNICEF has received reports of over 1,000 children killed or seriously injured throughout Syria.

UNICEF continues to support children in need across Syria; 5.3 million children are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance.

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Notes to Editors

BRoll available here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/narjk3usxr1h1a8/AAAh7qyNNcAihasrZjZJETBla?dl=0

Photos available here https://weshare.unicef.org/Archive/2AMZIF2HA2IF.html

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential. And we never give up. UNICEF, for every child.

For more information, visit www.unicef.ie Follow us on Twitter and Facebook

For more information, please contact:

Aedín Donnelly, Communications and Media Manager for UNICEF Ireland | aedin@unicef.ie | Tel: +353 1 809 0281 | Mob: +353 85 1395272

 

Photo above: Residents of East Ghouta, Syria © UNICEF/UN0162765/Al-Mohibany
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