The situation for many children and families remains precarious, with nearly 90 percent of children in need of humanitarian assistance, a 20 percent increase in the past year alone, according to UNICEF.

“This cannot be just another grim milestone, passing by in the world’s peripheral vision as children and families in Syria continue to struggle,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “Humanitarian needs cannot wait. The international community should make every effort to bring about peace to Syria and galvanize support for its children.”

“More than half a million children under the age of five in Syria suffer from stunting as a result of chronic malnutrition. Nearly 2.45 million children in Syria and an additional 750,000 Syrian children in neighboring countries are out of school; 40 percent of them are girls,” UNICEF said. (ILKHA)