At least 384 children have been killed during Syria’s 10-month uprising and virtually the same number has been jailed, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Jan 27. “As of Jan. 7, 384 children have been killed, most are boys. Some 380 children have been detained, some less than 14 years old,” Rima Salah, acting UNICEF deputy executive director, told reporters in Geneva. UNICEF is concerned about the situation in Syria, which has a legal obligation to protect children and uphold their rights, Salah said. “Our office there is functioning well, we have a dialogue all the time with the government and civil society,” she added.
The previous death toll for children in Syria was 307, according to a statement by UN human rights chief Navi Pillay on Dec. 2 last. The UN’s top human rights official also said authorities in Syria can stop further deaths in the 10-month-old uprising by issuing an order for security forces to cease fire. Pillay said at least 5,400 people have been killed since March but recent figures are difficult to come by because some areas including parts of Homs are now “completely closed” to the outside world. Residents in Homs and activists outside the city reported a “terrifying massacre” that killed more than 30 people there on Jan 27.