Peter Walton, Director International, Australian Red Cross
To the Editor
Six-year-old Yousra is the same age as the war in Syria. All she has known is war and when my colleagues met her, she was playing hopscotch among the bombed-out buildings of Aleppo.
War cannot kill the imagination of a child. But it’s depriving millions of children like Yousra of a childhood.
This week marks an unfortunate anniversary whereby the people of Syria have now endured an armed conflict that’s lasted longer than World War Two. Imagine what it’s like for Yousra and her friends to live through 2,190 days of war.
All kids deserve a childhood and a chance for a bright future. We can all do something to make that possible, whether it’s giving to the Syria appeal or just being kind to those who have fled the war.
Syria is now everyone’s crisis and every one of us can help. Find out how at Red Cross.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
