At least 3 million children in Syria under the age of six have known nothing but war, and millions more have grown up in fear under the shadow of conflict. In a recent survey conducted inside Syria by Save the Children, two-thirds of children we spoke with had lost a loved one, had their house bombed or shelled, or suffered war-related injuries, and many have lost access to education.
This has caused deep psychological scars among many Syrian children, increasing their long-term risk of suicide, heart disease, diabetes, substance abuse, and depression.
Living in a constant state of fear can create a condition known as “toxic stress” which, if left untreated, can have a life-long impact on children’s mental and physical health.
Read More: These Drawings by Syrian Children Will Break Your Heart
Since the war began in Syria more than six years ago, nearly 5 million refugees, including 2.3 million children have fled the country. Many still suffer from their past experiences and struggle to adapt to their new environments.
Through the support of partners like Johnson & Johnson, Save the Children is working to provide lifesaving health care, psychosocial support services, access to quality and regular education, and build the resiliency of refugee children in transit and destination countries throughout the Middle East and Europe.
Johnson & Johnson and Save the Children, in partnership with Facebook, also helped to raise awareness around the experiences of refugee families through producing videos as part of the HumanKind campaign, including the video highlighted above. The videos were shot at Tempelhof refugee camp in Germany, where Save the Children was working to support the integration of refugee children in Germany.
Read More: 400,000 Syrian Refugee Children in Turkey Aren’t in School After War
Save the Children continues to work very closely with other reception centers in Germany to address the child protection, mental health, and education needs of refugee children and youth.
To learn more about Save the Children and its response to the Child Refugee Crisis, please visit: SavetheChildren.org/refugees
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