A humanitarian affairs officer in London revealed that kids not older than six years old have no choice but to enter Syrian refugee camps alone after getting separated from their families. Some were so shell-shocked that they were at loss for words when questioned by camp personnel.
Rob Williams, head of War Child UK, explained to Evening Standard that kids are often separated from their parents whenever their villages are attacked. Families don't always run in the same direction that's why the most vulnerable usually get lost or left behind.
"We also meet families who have walked for seven or eight days, but the ones in Jordan have generally walked about 40 miles to get to the safety of the camp," said Williams. "When children arrive they can be very traumatized. You can see a child who internally is playing over an awful memory in [their] head over and over again."
According to the latest estimates by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, one-third of all Syrian children has grown up only knowing about war and conflict. Nearly 3.7 million Syrian kids were born since the dispute arose in 2011. As of the moment, a total of 8.4 million children, in Syria and in other neighboring nations, have been affected by the war.
Williams encouraged other countries to continue their financial support to the region so that Syrians won't have to take the dangerous migrant route to Europe. War Child UK is currently providing security and post-traumatic stress debriefing to young refugees.
"There was an eight-year-old girl who was captured by Isis as she tried to escape from Syria," Williams recalled. "If we didn't run a program in that camp, she would still be not speaking and sitting in the corner of a tent still locked up in her own isolation."
War Child UK also has a support service that guides parents on how to care for their traumatized kids. Other facilities include halls for learning, music and games.
