Video: Syria's youngest talk about life in war zone
The impact of war on Syria's youngest residents is depicted in a striking video released Wednesday by Global Post. A correspondent, identified only as " Maya," spoke with children in the country's north about their experiences growing up in a war zone.
The sound of explosions can be heard in the background as the footage opens to a room filled with young people.
"When the shelling starts we don't hear the explosions as much, so we feel safer," says 14-year-old Mariam. "But when the shelling is heavy we feel only God can protect us."
Between images of the children playing--with hula hoops, computer games and, in one case, a bullet--the young subjects give their personal accounts of war. They speak candidly, and without tears, about witnessing brutal massacres, the deaths of classmates and dreaming about bombs.
Turkieh, an 8-year-old with bouncy curls and a bright pink sweater, is calm as she recounts the loss of her mother.
"My mum went to buy bread and was coming back when the sniper shot her," she says.
The United Nations say close to 70,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict started.