BAALBEK, Lebanon — This week, as the international community marked the annual World Refugee Day, the Syrian crisis has entered its sixth year. Nearly 5 million Syrians are taking refuge all across the Middle East while others, including many Syrian children, continue to risk their lives for a chance to reach Europe’s doorsteps.
In 2014, only three years into the conflict, UNICEF reported that “Syria is now one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a child.” Nearly half of the war-torn country is displaced. According to the United Nations, children make up almost half of the refugee and the internally displaced populations. Life expectancy has fallen by 20 years.