UNICEF condemns ‘war crime’ of starvation in report on besieged Syrian town
The UN children’s fund UNICEF has documented severe malnutrition among children in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya. The UN has called the starvation of civilians a war crime.
UNICEF said that out of 25 children under the age of five screened by its staff and the World Health Organization, 22 had “moderate to severe” malnutrition.
Another six out of 10 children aged between six and 18 showed signs of severe malnutrition, UNICEF said in its report. It acknowledged that, while the examinations were not a representative sample, they reflected the real-time situation on the ground.
