Photo shows a three-year-old boy sitting on a box of winter clothing that his family has received from a distribution at Kawergosk Syrian Refugee Camp in Erbil Governorate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Credit: UNICEF/Khuzaie
Already reeling under uncertainties of wars and displacement, children in the Middle Eastern conflict zones face more dangers to their health.
As winter hits the region, freezing temperatures, storms and heavy snowfall will add to the misery afflicting hundreds of thousands of families in Middle Eastern conflict zones.
The United Nations Children’s is warning of a dire situation unless assistance – including cold weather clothing and supplies – is urgently provided.
“Without help, the cold could be yet another harsh blow to vulnerable children in the region who have already been through so much,” Geert Cappelaere, the UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said.
While an untold number of young people have been killed, the ongoing civil wars and regional conflicts have taken a heavy toll on the health of children, who have survived violence, bombings and fighting.
“Children’s health is weak from undernutrition, poor healthcare and displacement. Hypothermia and respiratory infections are a serious threat – if left untreated, children will die.”
But prolonged conflict, displacement and unemployment for years have already depleted families’ resources, pushing them into predicament and poverty, where they can no longer afford to buy warm clothing or heating fuel, the UN says.
“If schools are not kept warm, dropout rates are expected to rise, leaving children more vulnerable to early marriage, sexual violence or forced recruitment into fighting,” a UN news release says.
The world body says its staff are working against time to provide warm clothing, winter supplies and blankets before the cold sets in, but the agency is staring at a $60 million (more than 80 per cent) funding shortfall for its $73 million appeal.
“The lack of resources could leave up to 1.5 million children across Iraq, Syria, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and neighboring refugee host countries, exposed to the elements.
“With sufficient funding, UNICEF aims to provide winter clothing kits to over 800,000 children across the region, including to families that have been displaced by recent fighting; thermal blankets for almost 240,000 children; child friendly spaces and school heating for 105,000 children; and cash assistance to the families of more than 320,000 vulnerable children.”
