In Syria, public demonstrations began on 26 January 2011, and developed into a nationwide uprising. Protesters demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, the overthrow of his government, and an end to nearly five decades of Ba’ath Party rule. Over a year of Syrian protest thousands of people killed and displaced.
Now, UNICEF has come forward to address issues related to health, education and other needs of thousands of displaced Syrian women and children, a UN spokesman said.
According to Maria Calivis, the UNICEF’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, children have not been spared by the “violence sweeping Syria over the past year”, Xinhua reported.
“Of the 30,000 registered refugees who have fled to the neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, large proportions are women and children,” said UN spokesman Eduardo Del Buey at a daily news briefing Friday. The numbers of Syrian refugees were estimated at 130,000 in early March 2012.
Up to 9,100–11,000 people have been killed, primarily protesters but also including 2,470–3,500 armed combatants and at least 500 children, while hundreds more have been injured, detained and abused, the UN said.
UNICEF is requesting $7.4 million in funding to focus on child and woman protection, water and sanitation and education for the increasing number of refugees.