The Syrian civil war began in 2011, and a new UNICEF report says 2016 has been the deadliest year of the conflict for children, with at least 652 killed.
Children have been killed in attacks against schools, playgrounds, parks, and hospitals. UNICEF says that at least 255 kids were killed in or near schools, and 1.7 million children are not able to attend school. Some children are dying from preventable diseases, as they have no access to medical care, and others are killed by landmines. UNICEF also found that the number of child soldiers is on the rise, with at least 851 recruited last year by armed groups, more than twice as many as in 2015.
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