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Children with disabilities caught up in the Syrian war are at greater risk of harm and lack access to the health care, education, or humanitarian aid needed to protect their basic rights, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The United Nations, the Syrian government, and concerned governments should urgently ensure protection and assistance to meet the needs of children with disabilities in Syria. The 71-page report, “‘It Was Really Hard to Protect Myself’: Impact of the Armed Conflict in Syria on Children with Disabilities,” details the abuses faced by children with disabilities, including a heightened risk during attacks and a lack of access to the basic support services they need. The absence of inclusive and universal programs – including in education, delivery of humanitarian aid, and mental health and psychosocial support services – compounds the difficulties children with disabilities in Syria already experience.

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After eight years of destructive conflict, more than a third of Syrian children ‘always or frequently’ feel unsafe, as well as distressed and alone, according to a survey carried out for a new Save the Children report, “A Better Tomorrow: Syria’s Children Have Their Say”.  

Ahead of the major international Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region in Syria in Brussels this week, questionnaires and focus group discussions were carried out with children in four governorates in Syria that have been devastated by war.  

Half of those surveyed identify violence, family separation, the destruction of homes and vital infrastructure and lack of access to basic services like education and healthcare as “very serious” challenges facing them and their communities Despite this, the majority of children surveyed ar