Report: 3994 Schools either Destroyed or Damaged by Pro-Assad Forces

The Syrian Network for Human Rights said in a report that regime forces’ indiscriminate shelling on Syrian cities and towns has left at least 3,994 schools either completely destroyed or damaged. The report lists 450 schools that were completely destroyed and need to re-built, mostly in Homs, Damascus and Aleppo. Also, 3,423 schools have suffered medium or low damage and can be restored. Of these 1,500 schools have been turned into shelters for the internally displaced people, while 150 schools have been turned into field hospitals in the opposition-held areas. Furthermore, regime forces have turned nearly 1200 schools to detention centers and headquarters for security forces. The Syrian Coalition earlier condemned in the strongest possible terms the mortar attack launched by regime forces on Al Hayat School in the district of Qaboun in Damascus where 17 children were killed and 25 others injured. Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the Syrian Coalition, calls for stepping the international efforts to put an end to the genocidal war waged by the Assad regime against the Syrian people using all kinds of weapons. “The Assad regime’s repeated targeting of schools and hospitals requires practical and decisive stance by the international community against these barbaric acts aimed at destroying education in Syria and spreading ignorance among its people. The latest attacks recalls to mind the Assad regime’s targeting of Ein Jalout School by aerial shelling that claimed the lives of more than 30 schoolchildren, in contravention of a truce that was reached with rebels in the city.” Assad regime repeatedly targeted schools across Syria, and regime forces bombed the same school during an arts exhibition held last year, killing 31 civilians, including nine children. Earlier, Human Rights Watch confirmed it had “documented at least 85 strike sites in neighborhoods of Aleppo city,” and that the Assad regime continues to indiscriminately strike “civilians and civilian objects in Aleppo with unguided, high-explosive barrel bombs.” The Syrian Coalition also condemned earlier the regime’s mortar shelling of Badr Addin al-Hassani institute in Al Shaghour district of Damascus yesterday, which resulted in the death of more than 17 children and injuring dozens. Abdel-Rahman Haj, adviser to interim Prime Minister, said that the Assad regime’s systematic targeting of schoolchildren “aims to destroy the future of Syria and to achieve political goals. However, these horrible massacres against childhood and education have always been met with dubious silence, as the world’s response rarely goes beyond condemnation and expressing concern. It has become clear that Assad wants to destroy the future of Syria and leave Syrians without any glimpse of hope for a better future. (Source: Syrian Coalition)