Heartbreaking: Four-year-old child lost on border after family fled war torn Syria

New Delhi: The ongoing Syrian conflict has disturbed the lives of millions of people and one such example is the story of a four-year-old boy Marwan. Marwan was separated from his family when they were fleeing the country along the Syria- Jordan border. It was heartbreaking to see a four year old carrying a small plastic bag of his belongings and wandering in the desert until he was found by UN aid workers. The aid workers then reunited him with his family. UNHCR officials said Marwan was only 20 steps behind his family after he became lost during the confusion of the crossing. Many young children have been separated from their families due to the civil war. The Syrian civil war started with popular protests across the country in 2011 during the Arab Spring, which turned into an armed conflict after the Syrian army fired on demonstrators across the country. More than 130,000 people have been killed since the conflict began and 2.5 million people, including an estimated one million children, have been forced to flee the country. An additional 5 million people are internally displaced in Syria. Marwan is one among the one million children who have been force to flee Syria due to the civil war. The Zaatari camps meant for refugees have witnessed increase in the refugee population with 4,000 refugees arriving in one day. The Zaatari refugee camp is home to more than 160,000 people who have fled from Syria in the north. The refugee camp, which is now the fifth largest city in Jordan, has seen an increased rate of arrivals in the last few months.