UNICEF warns of high risk of disease among young Syrian refugees

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that children in Syria are facing high risks of diseases due to dwindling supplies of safe drinking water and extreme summer heat, according to the UNICEF.

“Dwindling supplies of safe drinking water during Syria’s scorching summer months are exposing children to the threat of water-borne diseases,” the UNICEF said in a statement Friday.

The statement underlined that since the beginning of the year, at least 105,886 acute diarrhea cases were observed and 1,700 cases of Hepatitis A were recorded in one week alone last February.

“The situation is alarming particularly for children who are susceptible to water-borne diseases,” Hanaa Singer, UNICEF’s Representative in Syria, said.

UNICEF is appealing for USD 5 million by August end for its water, sanitation and hygiene response inside Syria.

“With the crisis now in its fifth year, water has become even more scarce and unsafe, and poor hygiene conditions, especially among the displaced communities are putting more children at severe risk,” Singer said.