Child health in Syria: recognising the lasting effects of warfare on health

Devakumar, Delan; Birch, Marion; Rubenstein, Leonard S.; Osrin, David; Sondorp, Egbert; Wells, Jonathan C. K.

doi:10.1186/s13031-015-0061-6

Cited by 93 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 18 publications

(21 reference statements)

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“…1 Syrian children-the nation's hope for a better future-are among the most vulnerable victims of the war: they have lost loved ones, suffered injuries, missed years of education, and witnessed violence and brutality. 13 Warring parties forcibly recruit children as young as 7 to serve as fighters, human shields, or in support roles. 3,12 The efforts of relief organizations focus mainly on war injuries and preventive measures but pay too little attention to more vulnerable populations in the community.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Children in the Syrian Civil War: the Familial, Educational, and Public Health Impact of Ongoing Violence

Elsafti

Berlaer

Safadi³

et al. 2016

Disaster med. public health prep.

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Objective: The Syrian civil war since 2011 has led to one of the most complex humanitarian emergencies in history. The objective of this study was to document the impact of the conflict on the familial, educational, and public health state of Syrian children. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in May 2015. Health care workers visited families with a prospectively designed data sheet in 4 Northern Syrian governorates. Results: The 1001 children included in this study originated from Aleppo (41%), Idleb (36%), Hamah (15%), and Lattakia (8%). The children's median age was 6 years (range, 0-15 years; interquartile range, 3-11 years), and 61% were boys. Almost 20% of the children were internally displaced, and 5% had deceased or missing parents. Children lacked access to safe drinking water (15%), appropriate sanitation (23%), healthy nutrition (16%), and pediatric health care providers (64%). Vaccination was inadequate in 72%. More than half of school-aged children had no access to education. Children in Idleb and Lattakia were at greater risk of having unmet public health needs. Younger children were at greater risk of having an incomplete vaccination state. Conclusions: After 4 years of civil war in Syria, children have lost parents, live in substandard life quality circumstances, and are at risk for outbreaks because of worsening vaccination states and insufficient availability of health care providers. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:874-882)

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confidence: 99%

Children in the Syrian Civil War: the Familial, Educational, and Public Health Impact of Ongoing Violence

Elsafti

Berlaer

Safadi³

et al. 2016

Disaster med. public health prep.

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“…UNICEF reports that it has given winter kits to 152,000 children in the first three months of 2016 alone; 44,000 of those children are living in hard to reach areas. The long-term health effects of the conflict on children can, and unfortunately will, for many, be severe and irreversible (Devakumar et al 2015). The rate of disabilities, mental and physical impairments, and chronic diseases will be especially high.…”

Section: Children In Conflict Zonesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The duty to bring children living in conflict zones to a safe haven

Schweiger¹

2018

Refugee Crisis:

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In this paper, I will discuss a children's rights-based argument for the duty of states, as a joint effort, to establish an effective program to help bring children out of conflict zones, such as parts of Syria, and to a safe haven. Children are among the most vulnerable subjects in violent conflicts who suffer greatly and have their human rights brutally violated as a consequence. Furthermore, children are also a group whose capacities to protect themselves are very limited, while their chance to flee is most often only slim. I will then discuss three counterarguments: the first counterargument would be that, instead of getting the children out of a particular country, it would be better to improve their situation in their home countries. A second counterargument could be that those states, which have such a duty to bring children to a safe haven, would be overburdened by it. Finally, the third counterargument I want to discuss states that such a duty would also demand a military intervention, which could worsen the situation even further.

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“…The repercussions of deeply traumatic events echo throughout a person's existence, and commonly lead to mental health problems. 7,8,9,10 This vulnerable and diverse group of people seeking asylum arrive with a myriad of problems and are presented with multiple barriers to seeking, let alone achieving, legal refugee status, in addition to the catastrophic trauma already experienced. Asylum seekers are subject to racial violence, homelessness, professional de-skilling, language difficulties, uncertain residency status, loss of cultural identity, struggles with integration and acculturation to the host country and imprisonment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%