SYRIA: "We Must Make This The Turning Point For Children In Syria", Says Save The Children

As Syria faces a critical turning point with cautious optimism for the future, the needs of children have never been higher with an urgent increase in funding required to meet immediate needs, Save the Children said.

Nearly 14 years of conflict and economic crises have left about 16.7 million people - nearly two thirds of the population - in need of assistance. Children account for an estimated 45% of those in need - meaning that three in every four children in Syria require urgent support.

While the current transition is an important milestone, the events of recent weeks have increased need. More than one million people, half of whom are children, fled their homes in the past 11 days, and are in critical need of food, shelter and warm clothing.

Schools are being repurposed as shelters, disrupting education, putting the future of over 80,000 children at risk. Others who have lived for years in displacement have reportedly begun returning home. Many are also grappling with emotional trauma from recent events.

An increase in funding is essential to meet immediate needs, including basic necessities and emotional support. However, longer term investment is equally crucial in education, economic recovery, and resilience-building, to secure a better future for Syria’s children.

Rasha Muhrez, Save the Children’s Syria Response Director, said:

" Children need a home for shelter, protection and stability. But for many children in Syria, "home" has been a faraway concept for 14 years, as they have been dealt blow after blow.

"It’s too early to tell what the next few months and years will look like in Syria - but this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a brighter, more stable future. To turn this into a reality, the focus needs to be on children - ensuring they are protected, have food and shelter and can quickly return to school and start to get on with their lives. Only then can they have a place to call home, and a path towards a normal childhood.

"We must make this the turning point for children in Syria - and give them peace and a future."

Save the Children has been working in Syria since 2012 and is supporting displaced families in Syria, both directly and through local partners, distributing food parcels, water and other critical supplies. The aid organisation is also supporting centres for displaced people and a helpline for families.

[1] UN OCHA The Whole of Syria Flash Update No. 3 - Recent Developments in Syria | OCHA

[2] Calculation from the 8.8 million affected by the February 2023 earthquake according to this OCHA report: Flash Appeal: Syrian Arab Republic Earthquake (February - May 2023) [EN/AR] - Syrian Arab Republic | ReliefWeb against the total population of 23.46 million as per the OCHA Syrian Arab Republic Humanitarian Needs Overview, February 2024.

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