Since the beginning of the Turkish military offensive in northern Syria, the United Nations Children's Fund Unicef estimates that nearly 70,000 children are on the run.
By Monday, at least four children had been killed and nine others injured in northeastern Syria, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in New York. In addition, there are reports of seven children killed in Turkey.
According to UNICEF, since the beginning of the fighting in northeastern Syria, three health facilities and ambulances and one school have come under fire. The waterworks of A'Iouk in Hassake, which supplies nearly 400,000 people, are reportedly out of service.
The Children's Fund fears that, given the violence, at least 170,000 children in the region will need humanitarian assistance. Fore called on the conflicting parties "as well as those who influence them" to protect children at all times. "Those fighting in the northeast and other parts of Syria must protect the civilian infrastructure and not use it for military purposes," she said.
Last Wednesday, Turkey launched its long-announced military offensive against the Kurdish militia YPG. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 130 fighters of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and 69 civilians have been killed. According to UN data, 160,000 people are on the run.
