One in three Syrian children know nothing but war: UNICEF

One in three Syrian children have known nothing but a lifetime of war, UNICEF said March 14, as the country's conflict enters its sixth year this week.

Forced from their homes and schools, orphaned by violence and drafted into work or fighting, a generation of Syria's children is being shaped by the conflict, UNICEF said in a new report.

"Every Syrian child under the age of five has known nothing but a lifetime shaped by war - that's an estimated 2.9 million children inside Syria and at least 811,000 in neighboring countries," the U.N. children's agency said, adding that the around 3.7 million children under the age of five were one third of all Syrian children under the age of 18. 

Syria's war has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced more than half of a pre-conflict population of 23 million, according to the United Nations.

"Five years into the war, millions of children have grown up too fast and way ahead of their time," said Peter Salama, UNICEF's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.  

"As the war continues, children are fighting an adult war, they are continuing to drop out of school, and many are forced into labor, while girls are marrying early," Salama said.

Inside Syria, "nearly seven million children live in poverty, making their childhood one of loss and deprivation," he added.

More than 200,000 children live in areas of Syria under siege, the report said.

At least 2.1 million children inside the country - and 700,000 in neighboring countries -- are out of school, UNICEF said.

And "a trend of particular concern is the increase in child recruitment" by armed forces and groups, the report said.

"Children report being actively encouraged to...