In a new report, “Childhood Under Fire,” launched to mark two years of violence in Syria, Save the Children details the impact of the conflict on children, showing that many are struggling to find enough to eat; are living in barns, parks and caves; are unable to go to school with teachers having fled and schools being attacked; and that damage to sanitation systems is forcing some children to defecate in the street.

Citing new research carried out amongst refugee children by Bahcesehir University in Turkey, the report also reveals the extent to which children have been directly targeted in the war, with one in three children reporting having been hit, kicked or shot at.

Combined with the breakdown of society in parts of the country and more than three million people displaced, the conflict has led to the collapse of childhood for millions of youngsters.

“Childhood under Fire” details how some young boys are being used by armed groups as porters, runners and human shields, bringing them close to the frontline, while some girls are being married off early to ‘protect’ them from a widely-perceived threat of sexual violence.

.”For millions of Syrian children, the innocence of childhood has been replaced by the cruel realities of trying to survive this vicious war,” said Carolyn Miles, president and CEO of Save the Children. “Many are now living out in the open, struggling to find enough to eat, without the right medicine if they become sick or injured. As society has broken down, in the worst cases, hunger, homelessness and terror have replaced school for some of these young people. We cannot allow this to continue unchecked; the lives of too many children are at stake. ”

The research by the Bahcesehir University also reveals the extent to which children have been affected by war, with nearly one third of children surveyed saying that they had been separated from members of their families due to the conflict. Three quarters of those surveyed had experienced the death of a close friend or family member. Many are showing signs of emotional difficulties as they struggle to come to terms with their experiences.

Save the Children, which is providing humanitarian relief in Syria and neighboring countries, is calling for all parties to the conflict to allow unfettered, safe access to populations in need and to ensure that everything is done to bring the fighting to an end.

The inaugural International Day of the Girl Child was 11 October 2012, and for its first observance the United Nations focused on child marriage. A fundamental human rights violation, child marriage has an impact on all aspects of a girl’s life; the girl is denied of her childhood and education, her opportunities are limited, and the risk of violence and abuse escalates. As a result not only her future is jeopardized but also her immediate general health, as complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19.

As findings were presented during the inaugural International Day of the Girl Child, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed that more than 37,000 under-age girls are married every day. International efforts aiming at ending the practice were at the centre of the discussion moderated by the United States National Broadcasting Company’s Ann Curry. Guest speakers, among other panellists, were Archbishop Desmond Tutu, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Geeta Rao Gupta, UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin and UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet.

Ms. Bachelet spoke of the vicious circle of gender inequality: “In the case of girls and women, they are seen as less valuable inside a society. Also, in many societies, girls are defined by marriage. Families link the future of the girl to the possibility of her being married because in that culture, that’s what gives women their identity.”

Ms. Gupta believes the power of culture and tradition can be altered by the right laws; the first step is to have laws in place that maintain the minimum age of marriage as being 18. Other means to ending the harmful practice of child marriage lay in the implementation of economic measures. For example, by providing cash as an incentive to help girls stay unmarried, and study.

Dr. Osotimehin emphasized the need for national governments to focus on girls. The international community’s inability to place women and girls at the centre of development remain a major challenge. As he stated: “We can’t do boutique programmes; we have to take them to scale. We need national governments to take responsibility for this.”