(New York, October 28, 2016)- The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack strongly condemns the killing of students and teachers in the October 26, 2016 bombing of a school compound in Idlib, Syria. Between 11 and 22 children and approximately 6 teachers have reportedly died, and many others including children were injured, when repeated airstrikes hit a complex containing three primary and secondary schools in Hass village. 

“It’s shocking and heartbreaking that those responsible either didn’t take sufficient precautions to avoid killing students and teachers, or may even have deliberately targeted them,” said Amy Kapit, interim director of the coalition.  ”All countries involved in the conflict in Syria should sign the international Safe Schools Declaration and all parties to the conflict should take the steps necessary to prevent the devastating deaths and injury of students and teachers and to protect the places where they learn and teach.”  

According to UNICEF, there have been at least 38 attacks on schools in Syria in 2016 alone.

For further information, please contact: 

Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack

Secretariat Office

350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor

New York, NY 10118-3299

Office: +1-212-377-9446

gcpea@protectingeducation.org