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11 infants die in last 2 days of Jan. in Syria: UNICEF

At least 32 Syrian children, including 11 infants have died in the past two days due to harsh winter conditions, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said on Thursday.

Anadolu Agency MIDDLE EAST
Published February 01,2019
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Harsh winter has added to woes of war-torn Syrians with 11 infant deaths over the last two days of January, UNICEF said late Thursday.

Underscoring the "extremely harsh [winter] conditions" besides violence and displacement in northern and eastern Syria, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said: "[The situation] has killed at least 32 children since December -- including 11 infants in the past two days."

"In eastern Syria, persistent fighting around Hajin has forced thousands on a long, arduous journey almost 300 km to the north, to Al-Hol camp for internally displaced people," the first top UNICEF official added.

Some 23,000 people -- mostly women and children -- have arrived at the Al-Hol camp after a three-day journey since last December, Fore noted.

She said that fighting in Ma'arat al-Nu'man in Idlib, northwestern Syria, killed three children, including "a teacher working for a UNICEF-supported partner and his son".

More than 5,000 people have fled the region over the past three days alone, Fore said.

Thousands of children suffer from acute malnutrition

In a statement on Twitter, UNICEF added: "Over 6,700 children [were] verified killed or injured since 2015."

It added that nearly 358,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition require immediate treatment, going on to call for halting attacks in the war-torn country.

Fore insisted that children "are not and must never" be the target of violence.