Save the Children says Syrian kids could be suffering from ‘toxic stress’

International aid group Save the Children says Syrian children could be suffering from “toxic stress” and trauma as a result of nearly six years of conflict.

A research by the group conducted with 450 Syrian children in seven of Syria’s 14 governorates said millions of Syrian children are living in a state of “toxic stress” and suffer staggering levels of trauma due to prolonged exposure to the horrors of war.

The report, titled “Invisible Wounds,” reveals a mental health crisis among children trapped in areas held by Daesh and other Takfiri terrorist groups across Syria.

The report said many Syrian children were “living in an almost constant state of fear” even after escaping from the front lines of the conflict.

The study, based on hundreds of interviews conducted with the children’s parents, also found that children were showing more aggressive behavior, suffering from bedwetting, speech impediments, and chest pains, and in some cases attempting suicide.

For nearly six years, Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then. The world body stopped its official casualty count in the war-torn country, citing its inability to verify the figures it received from various sources.