GCPEA News

UNICEF strongly condemns the targeting of a school in Al Waer, calls for immediate stop to attacks on educational facilities

UNICEF, August 20, 2014

Statement attributable to Agostino Paganini, UNICEF Representative a.i for Syria

Damascus, 21 August 2014 – UNICEF is gravely concerned by the latest attack on a school in Syria – this time in Al Waer on the western outskirts of the city of Homs.

One prefab classroom was destroyed and two others were damaged in a mortar attack on Al Kindi primary school on the 15th of August. These classrooms were delivered to Al Waer by UNICEF in April 2014.

The internally displaced children who were attending this education facility had already lost their original schools as a result of the conflict.

We have seen all around this region that the sanctity of schools as a safe haven where children right to education is fulfilled has not been respected.

UNICEF calls upon all parties to the conflict to uphold their responsibility to protect children and to protect schools at all times from the effects of the conflict.