Syria: Two Children Killed in Camp Fire

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (Dec. 26, 2022) — Two children have died after a fire broke out in their tent in a camp in North East Syria, bringing the number of children who've been killed or injured in similar incidents over the past five months to 17. 

Today's tragedy at Areesha camp in the Hasakah governate, which killed a five-month-old boy and his one-and-a-half-year-old sister, highlights the dangers of daily life for children living in camps for those displaced by the conflict in Syria, as families are forced to rely on unsafe ways to keep warm this winter. 

Earlier this month, an 11-year-old girl passed away as a result of her injuries two days after a fire at her school in Tal Al Saman camp, which also injured ten people, including eight children. 

In August, a four-year-old Iraqi girl died of burns she sustained when two tents caught fire in Al Hol camp. Two weeks prior, two children reportedly died, and four others were injured in another fire that broke out in the Washukani camp in North East Syria, burning six tents. 

Matt Sugrue, Operations Director for Save the Children Syria, said:

"The risks that children face in Syria on a daily basis are multi-fold, especially when they are displaced and find themselves in conflict-affected areas. We cannot let the deaths of children in these circumstances become normalized, and we must invest more in the protection, education, and other basic needs of children throughout Syria, to ensure their rights are protected."

Save the Children has been working in Syria since 2012, reaching over five million people, including more than three million children across the country, and providing protection and support services in Al Hol, including child-friendly spaces. Save the Children also provides specialized case management support for children with particular needs and nutrition and education services.

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that Save the Children is a charity you can trust. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.