A/HRC/31/68 67. In spite of the threat to their lives, Syrian doctors, nurses, paramedics and support staff continue to toil in unimaginable conditions in an effort to stitch together a health-care system that belligerents appear intent on destroying. Their work, under fire, has saved countless civilian lives. 68. Their courage and commitment stands in stark contrast to the lack of action forthcoming from the international community and its institutions. In its resolution 2139 (2014), the Security Council demanded that all parties respect the principle of medical neutrality, and recalled that medical and humanitarian personnel, facilities and transport must be respected and protected. To date, there has been no effective implementation of that resolution nor any follow-up with regard to the continuing attacks on medical care. C. Attacks on education 69. More than 3 million children inside the Syrian Arab Republic have ceased to attend classes on a regular basis. One reason is the continued, deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on schools by the warring parties. These attacks, many of which have killed teachers and students, have destroyed and damaged schools. Even where schools still operate, parents opt to keep children at home, fearing for their safety. 70. Government air forces twice bombarded a girls’ school in Duma on 13 December. The second attack struck the school during first-aid and evacuation efforts; 19 civilians were killed, including the school director and 15 students. There were no military objectives in the vicinity. 71. Anti-government armed groups, shelling localities from nearby ground positions, have struck schools. On 10 November, fighters in the area of Salma (Latakia) fired rockets striking Tishreen University, Latakia city, killing one student. 72. On 22 December, ISIS fired rockets into the government-controlled Al-Jourah neighbourhood of Dayr az-Zawr city. Several struck the yard of a girls’ school, killing approximately 20 students. In areas under its control in Homs and Dayr az-Zawr, the terrorist group has closed schools for months at a time, stating that they will re-open once a new curriculum has been promulgated. In Ar Raqqah and northern Aleppo, schools operate with a curriculum dictated by the group’s religious interpretations; girls are permitted to attend until they are 10 years old. 73. There are continued reports of warring parties using schools for military purposes, including as depots, headquarters and barracks. Such use prevents students from attending and makes schools vulnerable to attack. 74. Declining access to education is a consequence of the conflict as a whole and the displacement it has caused. Children are less likely to attend schools in areas where there have been sustained clashes and bombardment. Schools in these areas, if functioning, regularly suspend their operations. In besieged areas, malnutrition and weakness from lack of food have led to chronic absenteeism. Displaced children, particularly those inside the Syrian Arab Republic, are even less likely to attend school. The war has also killed and displaced teachers, without whom the education system cannot operate meaningfully. 75. Many of the millions out of school may never complete their education. The consequences of this loss are immense, affecting not only the future prospects of Syrian children but also those of the country and the region. 11