Landmines pose the latest threat to children in Raqqa
By Massoud Hassan and Yasmine Saker QAMISHLY, Syrian Arab Republic, 11 July 2017 – When 10-year-old Khaled and his family fled their home in Raqqa in the middle of the night two weeks ago, they were seeking safety after living through months of heavy fighting and in constant fear. They had already been displaced […]
How far would you go to sit for exams? A journey of determination and ambition
Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic, 6 June 2017- My pursuit for education has been a hard and long route. I was in Grade 8 when I was forced to leave school, after fighting started in my village in eastern rural Aleppo. I was depressed but I tried not to lose hope. I continued studying alone […]
‘No Place Like Home,’ says UNICEF Advocate Ishmael Beah on World Refugee Day
‘Your life doesn’t stop when you become a refugee’ By Malene Jensen and Salim Oweis AMMAN, Jordan, 20 June, 2017 – “No one wants to flee their home,” says Ishmael Beah, author and UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War, following a recent visit to Jordan, where he met with children and young people uprooted […]
Interview with Ershad Karim, UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Qamishli Syria
8 June 2017 – The number of displaced children in northern Syria is staggering, says Ershad Karim, Chief of the UNICEF Field office in Qamishli, who is responsible for the UN relief efforts in Raqqa, where severe fighting is taking place. “A few weeks ago, I was in one of the camps hosting internally […]
Families fight for survival in war-ravaged Syrian town
By Nafisa Binte Shafique, Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Homs On 15 June 2017, I was part of a joint humanitarian convoy led by the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. We delivered food, health and hygiene supplies to around 100,000 people in Talbiseh, Homs […]
The quest for safety: Displaced children from Syria’s Ar-Raqqa city adjust to a new life in camp
Field diary by a UNICEF facilitator in Ar-Raqqa, north-eastern Syria[1] Ar-Raqqa, Syrian Arab Republic, 11 June, 2017- Children pay the highest price for war. They suffer from the fear of death and injury. Those who survive are grieving for lost loved ones, leaving them with lifelong psychological scars. Working as a health and nutrition […]
Families fleeing violence in north eastern Syria face dire living conditions in a makeshift camp at Ain Issa
Since November 2016, unrelenting violence in the north eastern governorate of Raqqa has displaced 107,000 people. Intensified attacks and shelling have destroyed infrastructure and shattered civilian lives. Families are seeking safety in poorly-equipped temporary shelters and camps in the area. They are living in dire conditions with little access to basic services. UNICEF is responding […]
Violence and displacement stalk children in Raqqa
As violence escalates in the northeastern governorate of Raqqa, families have been fleeing their homes to poorly equipped temporary shelters and camps in the area. While UNICEF is responding to the immediate needs of uprooted families, access to the area has been highly restricted for the past four years. By Massoud Hassan and Yasmine […]
Children pays heavy price as humanitarian situation deteriorates in East Ghouta
The already dire humanitarian situation inside the besieged east Ghouta is worsening. According to reports basic commodities such as fuel are mostly unavailable, the few supplies are too expensive and families cannot afford to buy, making conditions difficult for survival. An estimated 180,000 children have been living under siege in East Gouta since 2013. […]
Reflections by UNICEF Ambassadors and Supporters
Hear from some of the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors and Advocates who have met with children affected by the conflict in Syria and why they think that the children themselves are the best champions for peace. Muzoon Almellehan Goodwill Ambassador and Syrian Refugee Resettled in the United Kingdom “I am an education activist. I fled the […]
Diaries from Syria: a single mother’s journey of hope and fear
A blog by Dima Khayyata Being a mother is miraculous. But for me, being forced live far away from my children just to put bread on the table, has turned this blessing into a curse. Being a Syrian mother in this time of war is my life challenge – a reason to fight, survive […]
UNICEF supports Syrian youth to break into entrepreneurship with a social impact
By Yasmine Saker Six years of conflict and displacement have prevented young people from engaging meaningfully in their communities. To build the capacity of #youth affected by the conflict in #Syria and help them reach their full potential, @UNICEF joined hands with Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement on a livelihoods, seed funding and […]
A Syrian physician brings personal experience to polio immunization campaign
By Leen Tarabichi HAMA, Syrian Arab Republic, 11 May 2017 – Dr. Majed contracted polio at the age of 7 months. He grew up determined to protect as many children as possible from this life-threatening disease. Polio is highly contagious, and young children are the most vulnerable to infection. The disease attacks the nervous […]
For adolescents, safe spaces to build skills and keep aspirations alive
By Monica Awad and Masoud Hasen Qamishli, Syrian Arab Republic, 6 April 2017 – Five years since the conflict forced her family to flee their home, Rawan is building much-needed skills – and finding a glimmer of hope for the future. The 15-year-old is participating in a UNICEF-supported multi-service centre that serves as a […]
For displaced Syrian mothers, times of hardship and determination
Continued violence and insecurity in Syria have driven 6.8 million people from their homes. Amid the severe deprivation and uncertainty that come with displacement, mothers like Nada, 28, draw on whatever support they can get to meet their children’s basic needs while aspiring for a better future. By Monica Awad Dara’a, Syrian Arab Republic, […]
