Syria's children: Denied rights, suffering in silence

On the 25th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child and as the conflict in Syria nears its fourth year, Save the Children and the European Union call on world leaders to live up to their commitments and obligations that the Convention entails:  to ensure the protection and rights of children.   

The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 25 years ago, which today is signed by 194 countries. To this day, the Convention remains the most widely- ratified international human rights treaty.

"The Convention's acceptance shows a great commitment. What is lacking is action and the will to ensure that every child, everywhere, enjoys his/her full rights. And that includes children affected by the conflict in Syria", said Roger Hearn, Save the Children's Middle East and Eurasia Regional Director.

Among the rights listed in the CRC are the right to education, the right to protection from violence and abuse, as well as the right to a standard of living that meets the physical and mental needs of children. The Convention also insists that children in war zones should receive special protection and that governments are to ensure children's survival.

"As the world marks Universal Children's Day, we would like to remind signatories to the Convention on the Rights of the Child of their commitment and duties towards children", said Jane Lewis, Syria crisis co-ordinator for the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO).

“Syria’s children have been silently witnessing and experiencing the horrors of the war and its consequences for more than three years. Many have not been to school for years. But they are the future of Syria and we need to offer them hope and support”, said ECHO's Jane Lewis.

The conflict in Syria has lasted for three years, eight months and five days – the biggest humanitarian crisis of our times.  It has caused immense human suffering and children are the biggest victims.

"These children are deprived of the very basic rights the Convention is meant to guarantee, including the right to go to school and the right to protection”, said ECHO’s Jane Lewis.

At least 1.6 million children have fled the conflict, and become refugees in neighbouring countries, while more than five million children are in need of humanitarian assistance.

“With every day that goes on in this conflict, Syrian children are denied the little big things that make up childhood; the safety of home, the comfort of friends to play with, dreaming about the future while enjoying the present. All of that is put on hold or erased forever because someone, somewhere, decided this was not a priority", said Roger Hearn, of Save the Children. 

#8syrianchildren / www.8syrianchildren.com

Today, Save the Children and ECHO, The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department tell the stories of just eight of millions of Syrian children, by launching the website www.8syrianchildren.com and posting on Twitter under the hashtag #8syrianchildren.

The European Union (Commission and Member States) is the world's largest humanitarian donor for the international response to the Syrian crisis. Save the Children, the world's leading independent organisation for children, is one of the biggest responders, providing relief to children in Syria and five neighboring countries.