UNITED NATIONS, March 24: The killing of five Palestinian children refugees in Syria was strongly condemned on Saturday by the United Nations which warned of the devastating effects that the crisis is having on youth.

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), Mohammad Al-Khateeb, 14, was killed by a bullet as he was returning home on foot after buying bread from a bakery in his neighbourhood in Dera’a on 14 March.

On Tuesday, Hisham Mahmoud, 10, and Farhat Mubarak, 11, were killed at the crossroad of Yazour and Safad Streets in Yarmouk, Damascus. They were returning home from classes at a community-run learning centre when an explosive shell detonated nearby, killing them instantly.

In a separate incident on the same day, two brothers, Ali Mijel and Abdullah Mijel were killed along with their aunt and cousin when an explosive shell hit their home on Hittin Street in Sbeineh Camp. They were 14 and 15, respectively.

“The death of these children occurred in the context of escalating armed violence throughout Syria, including in Palestinian camps and residential areas,” UNRWA said in a news release.

“The tragic deaths illustrate the devastating effect of the conflict on children, both Syrian and Palestinian. On a daily basis, many people, including children, are killed, maimed, displaced and deeply traumatised as a result of the unrestrained conduct of armed conflict in urban areas. The conflict-related deaths of parents have left many children without the support and nurturing essential for their normal development.”