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

Abstract

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)

Health care provided to recent asylum-seeking and non-asylum-seeking pediatric patients at a Swiss tertiary hospital

“…Due to the severity and complexity of the armed con ict, Syria has shifted from a temporary to a permanent country of origin of refugees. This results in a continuously decreasing health status of Syrian citizens as also demonstrated that by a recent study in which only 64% had access to general pediatric care, 28% had up-to-date vaccination status and 16% access to healthy nutrition [23]. The Syrian context is contrasted by Afghanistan, which has been one of the top 20 countries of origin of refugees since the 1980s [1].…”

Health care provided to asylum-seeking and non-asylum-seeking paediatric patients at a Swiss tertiary hospital

“…Due to the severity and complexity of the armed conflict, Syria has shifted from a temporary to a permanent country of origin of refugees. This results in a continuously decreasing health status of Syrian citizens as also demonstrated that by a recent study in which only 64% had access to general pediatric care, 28% had up-to-date vaccination status and 16% access to healthy nutrition (21). The Syrian context is contrasted by Afghanistan, which has been one of the top 20 countries of origin of refugees since the 1980s(1).…”

Effects of the Warfare on Children, Health and Hope

“…Ortalama 6 yaşında olan bu çocukların kendi yaşam alanları dı-şında yerlerde yaşadıkları, ailelerinin kayıp olduğu, temiz suya ulaşamadıkları, uygun temizlik, beslenme ve sağlık-bakım hizmetleri alamadıkları, büyük çoğunluğunun aşılanamadığı ve yarısından fazlasının eğitime ulaşamayan okul çağı çocukları oldukları belirtilmiştir. 12 Çocuk olmanın getirdiği rollerin fakına varamadan dünyanın başka bir yüzü ile karşı karşıya kalan çocuklar, aileleri ile girmek zorunda kaldık-ları mücadelede en masum ama bir o kadar da en sıkıntılı durumları yaşamak zorunda kalan grup olmuştur. Uzun ve yorucu yolculuklara dayanamayan, beklenenin aksine küçücük bedeni ve ruhu en ağır yaraları almıştır.…”