In the last week of November 2024, northwest Syria witnessed a sharp escalation in violence, leading to devastating attacks on schools and hospitals.
A new report prepared by Child Guardians and the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), launched today, provides detailed documentation of these attacks and their impacts.
Our organisations have documented the deliberate targeting of 14 schools in just one week, resulting in the deaths of 3 boys and injuries to 16 other children, along with one teaching staff member. Meanwhile, attacks on hospitals during the same period caused severe damage to eight medical facilities. Attacks on civilian neighbourhoods tragically claimed the lives of 15 children and injured 43 others.
The briefing highlights the intentional nature of these attacks on civilian infrastructure, as well as their catastrophic consequences, including a high number of child casualties, the forced closure of schools, and the disruption of essential healthcare services, leaving vulnerable populations without critical support.
We urge the international community to take immediate action to ensure accountability for the war crimes committed against children and civilians in Syria. This includes prosecuting perpetrators and supporting international and local investigation mechanisms to document these violations effectively. We call for the protection of civilian infrastructure, particularly schools and hospitals, and for the safeguarding of children’s rights to life, education, and healthcare in line with international humanitarian law.
Additionally, we emphasize the need for strengthened international accountability efforts, including providing legal and logistical support for the prosecution of those responsible, and for referring cases to competent international courts.
Child Guardians and SAMS
26th December 2024
