15 Syrian Children Die Amid Freezing Weather Conditions

At least 15 children have died in Syria over the course of one month due to freezing temperatures and lack of medical care, said the United Nations' agency for children

AMMAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 15th Jan, 2019) At least 15 children have died in Syria over the course of one month due to freezing temperatures and lack of medical care, said the United Nations' agency for children.

In a statement, Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the middle East and North Africa, said, "Freezing temperatures and harsh living conditions in Rukban, at the southwestern border of Syria with Jordan, are increasingly putting children’s lives at risk. In just one month, at least eight children - most of them under four months and the youngest only one hour old - have died.

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Extreme cold and the lack of medical care, has exacerbated the already dire conditions for 45,000 individuals in Rukban.

Meanwhile, heavy violence in Deir-Ez-Zor has displaced a further 10,000 people since December 2018, leaving families fleeing the conflict zone with nowhere to go, and days without shelter or basic supplies.

"Without reliable and accessible healthcare, protection and shelter, more children will die day in, day out," Cappelaere warned.