More than 12,000 children have lost their parents during the four year war waged by the Syrian regime against civilians in eastern Ghouta, the director of the orphans department at Adalah Syria, Yasin Abu-Ratib said.
In an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, Abu-Ratib said: “Only about 7,000 orphans receive fixed monthly allowances while 5,000 are deprived of any financial assistance.”
He warned about the effects of the regime’s bombings on children saying they suffer from psychological damage as a result of the shelling and the siege.
A director of the Orphans Home Foundation in Douma,
Mohammed Ali, director of a charity which deals orphans in Douma, said the organisation has documented over 5,000 orphans in the city who receive monthly financial assistance as well as some food subsidies and other aid.
“The number of orphans is increasing, due to the increased pace of shelling and clashes in eastern Ghouta,” Ali explained.
“The number of orphans increases after big battles between regime forces and rebels.”
According to Ali, financial sponsorship provides children with food however it is difficult to find alternative homes to shelter them.
“We are able to provide some basic material through tunnels because the city is under siege by the regime forces,” he said.
According to unofficial statistics gathered by activists, more than 13,000 people were killed in eastern Ghouta over the past four years as a result of the regime’s bombings and fighting between regime and opposition forces.