Airstrikes Damage World Vision Child Protection Center in Syria

GAZIENTAP, Turkey (July 21, 2016) — A recent spike in attacks on innocent children and families in Syria highlights the total and utter disregard parties to the conflict have for international humanitarian law.

“The children of Syria have experienced more hardship, devastation and violence than any child should have to in a thousand lifetimes”, said World Vision’s Response Manager for Turkey and northern Syria, Dr. Christine Latif.

On Saturday of this week a World Vision-supported child protection center based in a school in northern Syria narrowly escaped a direct hit by an airstrike. The sheer intensity of the blast blew out windows and damaged the school’s doors and walls.

“Thankfully children and facilitators were not in the child protection center at the time of the airstrike but tragically an 11-year old boy who was nearby was killed. The violence must stop. The future of children in Syria depends on it,” said Dr. Latif.

Further information on World Vision’s child protection center and the incident:

Photos of the damaged child protection center (to be credited ‘World Vision’): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gxnaiyyid0n9zz7/AACZWbtkXDb2Mmk5BPnk5oLsa?dl=0

• The airstrike took place at 6pm on Saturday 16 July.
• Around 400 children are provided with psychosocial support at the center which is housed inside a school.
• The center has been running through another INGO since February 2015. World Vision took over management of the program in July 2016.
• The airstrike hit 300 feet from the school.
• There were no children or teachers in the school at the time of the airstrike.
• Operations at the center are ongoing.

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About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/media-center/ or on Twitter @WorldVisionUSA.

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