Afrin, Syria

Child deaths escalate: More children than ever are dying in the war in Syria. According to Unicef, 910 children were killed in Syria in 2017, more than in any other year, and 50% more than in 2016. The same report estimates that a further 961 children were recruited to combat roles last year. UN figures suggest that of the 6.1 million people who have been forced to flee their homes by the seven-year conflict, 2.8 million are children. In recent weeks, there has been a sharp escalation in violence in Idlib province; in Afrin, close to the Turkish border; and in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel-held area on the outskirts of Damascus that has been under intense bombardment by Russian-backed Syrian forces for weeks. Around half of the 420,000 civilians trapped in Eastern Ghouta are children.