More than 11 years of conflict in Syria has left over 6.5 million children in need of humanitarian assistance. We've been at the forefront of the crisis affecting Syria since 2012, providing assistance to the children in need.
Our programming combines emergency and life-saving interventions with early recovery activities that support the restoration of basic services.
WHAT WE’RE DOING TO HELP
Education
Syrian children’s right to education has been hampered by a set of factors including damaged and destroyed schools and different curricula in different areas of influence. As a result, an estimated 2.5 million of school-aged children are out-of-school and a further 1.6 million are at risk of dropping out. Those children are more likely to suffer protection risks including child marriage, child recruitment, and child labour.
We’re helping to increase the access of conflict-impacted children to safe, quality and protective education opportunities in camp and non-camp settings.
Responding to children’s learning needs, we create learning pathways for them designed to ensure they receive quality education and reach competency levels in line with formal standards to help them back into formal education opportunities.
Child protection
We provide a range of child protection services including:
- child friendly spaces
- a range of psychosocial and resilience activities
- specialised case management
- alternative care for unaccompanied and separated children.
We also work with children, caregivers and community members to enhance their knowledge and skills around child protection and strengthen community-based systems.
HOW WE HELPED SARA*
"In the future, I want to help my family and rebuild our home."
Sara, 14, was at home with her family when her street was bombed.
She emerged from the rubble of her home, temporarily blinded by chemical dust from the blast.
Her brother guided her to safety, and she now lives in a displacement camp. Sara attends our Child Friendly Space, where she feels less afraid and alone.
She likes playing goalkeeper in football matches, and says the girls' team normally beats the boys' team because she saves all the goals.
* Name changed
Nutrition
Our nutrition work focuses on promoting, protecting and supporting recommended infant and young child feeding practices to both prevent and treat malnutrition.
We also provide fresh food vouchers to increase the access of children, pregnant and lactating women to a nutritious diet and reduce the risk of micronutrient deficiencies
Livelihoods
We provide conflict-affected girls, boys, young women and men with market-oriented skills and livelihoods to enable them to meet their basic needs aims and build their resilience.
We also offer employability skills training where they can choose either business skills or technical vocational skills training. The project supports these young people to create viable business plans and provides them with a start-up grant.
9-year-old Bashir was badly injured by shrapnel to his face and eyes. He was brought to a hospital in Erbil by the Iraqi army, where he recovered with his father and two of his sisters. Bashir’s mother and one of his brothers died in a car bomb as he tried to flee Mosul.
