ŞÊRİN MİHEMED

Qamishlo- Women and children are the most affected by the war and conflicts in North and East Syria. Many women and children have lost their lives and many more have lost at least a part of their bodies. The ongoing war causes also displacement of thousands, who left their homeland to flee from being killed, kidnapped or violence and sexual assault.

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has been carrying out many activities to reduce the effects of war on children. It has enacted laws protecting children’s rights and allowing them to communicate in their mother language. The AANES approved the Child Protection Law No. 7 on June 30, 2022. Consisting of 85 articles, the law was prepared according to all international conventions and regulations on children's rights. The AANES has built centers for children, who have lost their parents, to take shelter.

‘They no longer feel the peace before the war’

Şilêr Children’ Committee was founded in North and East Syria to support children so that they can overcome the effects of the war. In an interview with NuJINHA, Sabah Fadel, member of the committee, talked about the effects of the Syrian war on children. Emphasizing that the war has affected everyone but especially children, Sabah Fadel said:

“The children no longer feel the peace before the war and they have lost their passion for life. As the committee, we provide psychological support to children so that they can overcome the trauma experienced by them. We work to lessen the burden on children so that they can have a peaceful and safe life again.”

 

‘Parents should make efforts to support their children’

The committee has education programs for children. “We teach them not to play with the unknown objects. We also talk to children about their abilities and their importance in personality development. We tell parents to keep their children away from social media platforms and programs containing images or cartoons that encourage children to use guns or kill people. Parents should make efforts to support their children, encourage them to develop their abilities and skills.”

 “Children are not aware of the conditions they live in. But the war has a significant impact on their souls and personalities,” said Newroz İsmail, a psychological counselor of the committee.

“The war-affected children suffer from depression, anxiety and psychosomatic problems. They suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The parents should support their children during the long-term treatment. If the war-affected children do not receive support and treatment, they will isolate themselves and feel fear more. For this reason, parents should be careful and make efforts to lessen the effects of the war on children.”