Children traumatized and fearful
Millions of children in Syria are living in fear of airstrikes and bombs, and are suffering from severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress, according to a new report by Save the Children. If something is not done soon to help them, they may never recover.
Called “Invisible Wounds” the report is based on more than 450 interviews with children and adults inside Syria. At least three million children under the age of six remember only war, and millions of others have been traumatized.
The civil war in Syria, which is entering its seventh year, has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history. According to the UN, 13.5 million Syrians currently need humanitarian aid and 6.3 are displace internally. Almost five million Syrians, most of them women and children, are refugees in neighboring countries.
“Syria is a crossroads,” Fillipo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in a report. “Unless drastic measures are taken to shore up peace and security for Syria, the situation will worsen.”
The Save the Children report details the effect of the prolonged exposure to war, stress and uncertainty.
“Some of the responses of the children shocked me,” Carolyn Miles, the CEO of Save the Children told The Media Line. “Some said they wanted to get shot so they could go to a hospital and get warm and get food. Having been to the region repeatedly the degree to which children are traumatized did not shock me, but some of the statements from the kids were heartbreaking.”
Studies show that children are exhibiting high levels of trauma and stress. The fact that it has been going for so long means many of the children are in a state of “toxic stress,” wrote Marcia Brophy, Save the Children’s Senior Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Technical Advisor, in the report.
“This is having immediate and hugely detrimental effects on children, including increases in bedwetting, self-harm, suicide attempts and aggressive or withdrawn behavior,” she wrote. “If left untreated, the long-term consequences are likely to be even greater, affecting children’s mental and physical health for the rest of their lives. This will have a devastating impact on Syria’s future unless action is taken now.”
In Syria, 4000 schools have been bombed or destroyed. About half of all children in Syria are not in school at all, many for several years.
“It is very difficult to be a child in Syria these days,” Rolla, the advocacy and media manager for Syria Relief. She asked to use only her first name as she continues to travel to Syria. “They know things they should not know and they have experiences they should not have. A six year old is not supposed to know the difference between a mortar and a missile.”
Syria Relief is working to provide educational and support systems for children both inside and outside Syria. She said the international community has not done enough to fund these needs.
“We know that there are so many emergencies around the world and Syria is competing with other disasters,” she said. “But this is 2017 and children should not be growing up like this. We must provide a safe environment for them.”
Children outside Syria are also being affected. Millions of refugees have fled to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, where the authorities there are struggling to accommodate them. Many of them are still not in school and are working to contribute to the family income.
Save the Children provides informal education to help close the gaps some of these children are facing. They also try to use education to deal with social questions.
“In Jordan we have a program for adolescent girls that includes basic education of math, reading and language skills,” CEO Carolyn Miles said. “But we also discuss the question of early marriage. What’s happening in Jordan is that Syrian refugee girls are getting married at 13 or 14 under pressure from their families.”
The Save the Children report calls on the international community to make a new global commitment to support children’s mental health and wellbeing in emergencies and calls on all parties to the conflict to immediately halt all attacks against civilians. It also says that donors must increase investments in programs that support children’s resilience and well-being.