Syrian children ‘traumatised’ says British charity

Syrian children have told harrowing accounts of atrocities as they escape the 18-month old civil war, according to a British charity.

Save the Children has been documenting personal stories by youngsters sheltering in refugee camps in neighbouring Jordan.

The charity said children have been subjected to brutal attacks, with some being used as human shields on tanks.

One 14-year-old – Hassan – witnessed a massacre that killed two of his wider family.

“When we went to the mosque we saw dozens of bodies there,” he told the charity.

A nine-year-old – Nur – hid with her family in a shelter while their home was shelled.

“They attacked us with artillery, missiles, tanks, everything. Their planes were dropping explosives,” she said.

Twelve-year-old Ali said he could not cope seeing the house where his cousins were killed. “Whenever I hear shelling, I get terrified and think of my cousins,” he told the charity.

The charity said their report ‘Untold Atrocities’ shows how deeply children have been traumatised by the conflict. It backs up similar accounts from human rights groups.

Save the Children has called on the United Nations to document all violations of children’s rights. It has a specialist team at the camp in Jordan to help youngsters overcome distress following their experiences in the uprising.

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