Press Release

UNICEF Regional Director Maria Calivis on School Shelling near Damascus, Syria

UNICEF renews its call for all parties to the conflict in Syria to abide by their obligations and to ensure that all children are protected.

AMMAN, Jordan (December 5, 2012) — “UNICEF condemns yesterday’s shelling of a school near Damascus that killed a number of students and a teacher.

Since the violence in Syria began, schools have been looted, vandalized and burned.

This is unacceptable. Schools are, and must remain, zones of peace.

UNICEF renews its call for all parties to the conflict in Syria to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure that all children are protected at all times.”

About UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in 190 countries and territories to save and improve children’s lives, providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when zero children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

For additional information, please contact:
Susannah Masur, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 646.428.5010, smasur@unicefusa.org
Kiní Schoop, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 917.415.6508, kschoop@unicefusa.org