Centre for child protection activities in Syria damaged in recent airstrike

A recent spike in attacks on innocent children and families in Syria highlights the total and utter disregard parties to the conflict have for international humanitarian law.

“The children of Syria have experienced more hardship, devastation and violence than any child should have to in a thousand lifetimes,” said World Vision’s Response Manager for Turkey and northern Syria, Dr. Christine Latif.

On Saturday, July 16, 2016 a World Vision-supported child protection centre based in a school in northern Syria narrowly escaped a direct hit by an airstrike. The sheer intensity of the blast blew out windows and damaged the school’s doors and walls.

“Thankfully children and facilitators were not in the child protection centre at the time of the airstrike but tragically an 11-year-old boy who was nearby was killed. The violence must stop. The future of children in Syria depends on it,” said Dr Latif.

Facts:

• The airstrike took place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 16. 2016
• The child protection centre provided psychosocial support to around 400 children
• The child protection centre is funded by private funding through World Vision US
• The centre has been running (through the leadership of another INGO) since February 2015. World Vision took over management of the program in July, 2016.
• The airstrike hit 100 metres from the school
• There were no children or teachers in the school at the time of the airstrike
• Operations at the centre are ongoing.