20 June 2013

Children of Syria
Child refugees from Syria

A UNICEF update

June 20 is World Refugee Day. Find out how many children of Syria now live as refugees - and where they are.

The last open road to school

By Modar Sibai HOMS, Syria The ongoing conflict in Syria has long made it difficult to drop my children off at school. But I never imagined that, one day, all the roads except one would be closed and that it could keep my daughter from completing ninth grade. We had come too far to let that happen. So we decided to travel on the last road open an unsafe track that takes you all around the city of Homs, crossing eight checkpoints. Before the conflict, it would take us about 10 minutes to reach the school. On this road, it took at least two hours. Together with other parents, we travelled in a procession of several cars, trying to stay safe. Many people
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had told us to forget this years exams because of the dangers. But I didnt want to let my daughter and the other children down after they had spent the whole year studying. So I took the risk. I took it because of the determination and resilience of my daughter Roua,15, and her friends but it was a decision wrapped in worry and fear of what the day might bring. Every day, Roua thought of what would happen if she didnt reach the school, if she didnt sit for the exam after having worked so hard for a whole year. If she didnt complete the exams, a year of her life would be gone for no reason. Finally, last week, she managed to finish her exams. She had to stay at a friends house in the

schools neighborhood alone, but determined to get it done. It felt so terrible, she later told me. Waking up without finding my mom whod wish me luck and I couldnt call her because the networks were often not available. The exams were only a small reminder of what everyone is going through here in Homs every single day. And what other parents will go through later this month, as the 12th grade exams take place. Will it pass safely? We dont know, but what I know is that my daughter managed to finish ninth grade. It was a small but very important victory in a parents endless worry in Syria.
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Children of Syria

20 June 2013

Faces of the Children of Syria

Two-year-old Omrain has been living with his siblings, parents and grandparents in a two-bedroom-flat in Irbid, Jordan, since the family fled Syria in August 2012. My little grandson is 2.5, and he has known nothing but fighting, his grandmother says. I hope my children have better days than the days that I have lived.

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Arti, aged 3, and her family fled Syria four months ago. They arrived in Jordan with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing. The family is now sharing a flat with relatives in the Jordanian city of Irbid. We need everything because we have nothing , Artis mother says.

Combatting risk of disease as summer approaches

By Wendy Bruere DOMIZ, Iraq When Domiz resident Taha heard that volunteers were needed to help improve the health and hygiene education in the camp, he signed up immediately. I could see that the camp needed cleaning, and people were not always managing waste properly, said Taha, who crossed the border from Syria into Iraq 10 months ago. This camp is our city and our home now, so it is our duty to look after it. Taha is part of a team of 60 hygiene promoters going tent to tent to speak with people about good hygiene practices. The hygiene promotion campaign is run by UNICEF and its partner organization Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), with training
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Taha talks to children who are designing posters with messages on waste management in the camp.

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20 June 2013

Children of Syria

Largest ever appeal to help people of Syria

By Chris Niles NEW YORK As the situation in Syria continues to spiral out of control, UNICEF and other United Nations and humanitarian agencies have mounted the largest ever appeal for funds. They are asking for $4.4 billion dollars for the whole of 2013. UNICEF estimates that 6.8 million people are now affected by the conflict. Four million Syrian children are in need of immediate assistance. At least 1.6 million Syrian refugees are living in neighboring countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. These are massive figures, but those figures mask a human tragedy. Ordinary women, men and children are bearing the brunt of this crisis, said United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos. UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict, and those who have influence on them, to reaffirm the principle that children have no place in war, said UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes Ted Chaiban. In addition to violence, widespread displacement and the collapse of
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UNICEF requires some $470 million until the end of December to maintain its lifesaving support for the children of Syria.

vital services have created chaos and misery. The arrival of summer brings new dangers associated with disease and poor sanitation. Neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon are struggling to cope with the influx of refugees. Working with partners, UNICEF has managed to reach children both in Syria and in its neighboring countries with life-saving support. This year children, who frequently play in the water, at risk. UNICEF, with support from the government, is also working on a camp-wide underground drainage system that will largely eliminate the grey water around the camp. In cooperation with the Norwegian Refugee Council, UNICEF also constructed emergency latrines, bathing facilities and water points in the camps congested transit areas, improving water and sanitation for over 11,200 refugees. Through such a combined intervention, we can decrease the risk of outbreaks of diseases like diarrhea and cholera significantly, Fourcassie said.

alone, UNICEF has vaccinated 1.5 million children against measles and provided more than 10 million people with safe water. More than 200,000 children have been enrolled in school. But the needs are outstripping resources at rapid pace. Were just not keeping up, said UNICEF spokesperson Sarah Crowe. The humanitarian effort is huge, but as it escalates, we have to speed up.

provided by the Department of Health. Its main focus is to prevent the outbreak of communicable diseases such as diarrhea, which are likely to increase during the hot summer season where temperatures will rise up to the mid40 degrees Celsius. There is an increased risk of disease in the camp due to a high density of tents, insufficient water supply, lack of toilets, poor waste collection, overflow of septic tanks and poor hygiene practices, said UNICEF Regional Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist, Pierre Fourcassie. Additionally, the grey water on some of the camps roads can mix with the overflow effluent from septic tanks putting
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Refugees by numbers*
Lebanon Jordan Turkey Iraq Egypt Total 535,000 474,000 380,000 160,000 82,000 1,643,000

North Africa 12,000

(UNICEF estimates that 50% of these refugees are children.)
- Figures have been rounded *UNHCR registered refugees and individuals awaiting registration as of 18 June 2013

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20 June 2013

Adolescent life in war-ravaged Homs

By Alma Hassoun HOMS, Syria A recently rehabilitated centre in a neighbourhood in the city of Homs is abuzz with action. Run by a local non-governmental organization and supported by UNICEF, it hosts an adolescent friendly space where young people take lessons in English or Computer science and learn how to stay safe in case of fire or a mortar attack. Rami*, 16, just passed his 10th grade exam and is now attending a session on the concept of leadership. Hes happy hanging out at the centre and acquiring new skills. If I knew that people of my age can learn these skills, I would have joined similar courses before. I didnt think that life skills can be learned in courses. The centre has proven popular with adolescents in Homs, particularly in areas with large numbers of internally displaced persons. Since its launch less than two months ago, the centre has seen more than 1,000 adolescent boys and girls enrol in its various activities. The trainers themselves are young no more than 21 to 22 years old. Most of them are university students determined to help make a difference in the lives of others.

A group of young men who participate in a training-of-trainers about life skills, supported by UNICEF

We want to help our society during the crisis. Leaving adolescents without any guidance at such time is neither good for them nor for society as a whole, said Luay*, 21, a volunteer. It is our responsibility to help them in these difficult times. Before they could join the centre as facilitators, a total of 65 volunteers took part in a two-week training supported by UNICEF. Now they are keen to set up smaller mobile teams that will transfer these skills to adolescents in shelters for mobile medical teams in 56 tented settlements since the beginning of May. Jordan On June 4, UNICEF and the Ministry of Education officially inaugurated the second school in Zaatari refugee camp with a capacity to host around 5,000 students. Iraq On World Environment day, hygiene promoters conducted a one
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displaced persons throughout the province of Homs. What touched me most was the positive attitude and enthusiasm of those young volunteers, said Nibal Qaddoura, a UNICEF staff member. In spite of the hard conditions they and their families are going through, they are eager to learn new skills and share their knowledge with others. *Names have been changed for protection purposes. day training for 1,400 students in Jiyan school at Domiz refugee camp, supported by UNICEF. Turkey A new container site opened in Kilis near the Syrian border and is now admitting Syrian refugee families. Priority is given to the most vulnerable families living in Bab Al Salame camp across the border and to families in urban areas in Kilis province.
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Briefs
Syria In a UNICEF-supported national vaccination campaign, more than 1 million children in Syria were vaccinated against MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) and 707,157 were reached with polio vaccines. Lebanon With UNICEF support, nearly 12,000 people have been treated through
For more information:

Lisa Marie Ullrich, UNICEF Middle East and North Africa

UNICEF/Syria-2013