Humanitarian Group Deems Child Trauma in Syria 'Appalling'

According to a report by the humanitarian group Save the Children revealed at the start of the U.N. General Assembly, the civil war in Syria has subjected children to "appalling" torture, imprisonment and abduction, Mission Network News reports. Save the Children cited numerous cases of abuse against children during the 18-month conflict that began in March 2011 and now has an estimated total death toll of between 20,000 and 30,000. "Now we hear about kids who were involved and being used to force the families to be on one side or another," said George Makeen of the Middle Eastern Christian satellite TV broadcasting company SAT-7. Ongoing attacks have forced more than a quarter of a million Syrians to seek safety in neighboring countries, such as Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. The U.N. estimates more than 1.2 million internally displaced people, and 2.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance.