<p>More than half of children in war-torn Syria are missing out on education, the UN children's agency UNICEF said Sunday, with a third of schools in ruins or commandeered by fighters.</p>.<p>The figures are a sharp rise from previous estimates when UNICEF said a third of Syrian children were out of school.</p>.<p>"After almost ten years of war in Syria, more than half of children continue to be deprived of education," UNICEF said in a statement, estimating there are over 2.4 million children out of school inside the country.</p>.<p>"This number has likely increased in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the disruption to education in Syria," said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's chief for the Middle East and North Africa, alongside Syria crisis boss Muhannad Hadi, in a joint statement.</p>.<p>"The education system in Syria is overstretched, underfunded, fragmented and unable to provide safe, equitable and sustained services to millions of children," they added.</p>.<p>Syria's civil war erupted in 2011 after the violent repression of protests, quickly spiralling into a complex conflict that pulled in numerous actors, including jihadist groups and foreign powers.</p>.<p>Over 387,000 people have been killed, and more than half of Syria's pre-war population of 20 million have been forced to flee their homes.</p>.<p>"One in three schools inside Syria can no longer be used because they were destroyed, damaged or are being used for military purposes," the statement added.</p>.<p>The schools that remain operative, UNICEF said, are often overcrowded and located in "buildings with insufficient water and sanitation facilities, electricity, heating or ventilation".</p>.<p>UNICEF said it confirmed 52 attacks against education facilities last year, bringing to nearly 700 the number of UN-confirmed violations against schools and teaching staff.</p>
<p>More than half of children in war-torn Syria are missing out on education, the UN children's agency UNICEF said Sunday, with a third of schools in ruins or commandeered by fighters.</p>.<p>The figures are a sharp rise from previous estimates when UNICEF said a third of Syrian children were out of school.</p>.<p>"After almost ten years of war in Syria, more than half of children continue to be deprived of education," UNICEF said in a statement, estimating there are over 2.4 million children out of school inside the country.</p>.<p>"This number has likely increased in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the disruption to education in Syria," said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's chief for the Middle East and North Africa, alongside Syria crisis boss Muhannad Hadi, in a joint statement.</p>.<p>"The education system in Syria is overstretched, underfunded, fragmented and unable to provide safe, equitable and sustained services to millions of children," they added.</p>.<p>Syria's civil war erupted in 2011 after the violent repression of protests, quickly spiralling into a complex conflict that pulled in numerous actors, including jihadist groups and foreign powers.</p>.<p>Over 387,000 people have been killed, and more than half of Syria's pre-war population of 20 million have been forced to flee their homes.</p>.<p>"One in three schools inside Syria can no longer be used because they were destroyed, damaged or are being used for military purposes," the statement added.</p>.<p>The schools that remain operative, UNICEF said, are often overcrowded and located in "buildings with insufficient water and sanitation facilities, electricity, heating or ventilation".</p>.<p>UNICEF said it confirmed 52 attacks against education facilities last year, bringing to nearly 700 the number of UN-confirmed violations against schools and teaching staff.</p>