UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has said in a report that more than twice as many children are affected by the hostilities in Syria than were 12 months ago, and particularly hard hit are up to a million children trapped in areas that are under siege or that are hard to reach with humanitarian assistance due to continued violence.

"For Syria's children, the past three years have been the longest of their lives. Must they endure another year of suffering?”, asked Unicef executive director Anthony Lake, calling for an immediate end to the violence and increased support for those affected.

The report Under Siege shares individual stories of children living in Syria or living as refugees in neighbouring countries, and highlights the profound traumas many have experienced.

Children such as four-year-old Adnan, who fled with his family to Lebanon, suffered facial scarring when his home was bombed and still suffers from emotional distress. “He cries all night,” his mother is quoted as saying.

“He is scared of everything and is afraid when we leave him, even for a second."

Unicef estimates that there are two million children like Adnan in need of psychological support or treatment.

Among the hardest hit are up to a million children who are trapped in under siege and hard-to-reach areas. Cut off from aid, living in rubble and struggling to find food, many Syrian children have been left without protection, medical care or psychological support, and have little or no access to education.

In the very worst cases children and pregnant women have been deliberately wounded or killed by snipers.