Save the Children is rolling out a project to provide child protection, education and water, sanitation and hygiene services to internally displaced and vulnerable people in North Syria. The European Union (EU) has allocated €3,5 million for this project that will reach as many as 10,599 children and adults with critical services by the end of February 2022.

In the North East, in coordination with its partner organisation Peace and Civil Society Centre, Save the Children supports children who are at risk of protection violations, who are heading households, or unaccompanied and separated as well as pregnant and lactating women, people with disabilities, and large households.

In the North West, the child rights organisation supports children who are out of school, children with disabilities, and those at risk of child labour and recruitment as well as caregivers who serve as children’s direct support network. This is done in collaboration with two Syrian partner organisations, Ihsan Relief (IhsanRD) and Violet.

Haya*, 12 years old, lives in a camp in Idlib, North West Syria. She attends a school supported by Save the Children and its partner organisation, Ihsan for Relief and Development. Haya told Save the Children:

“When my family and I were displaced, I could not learn because of the difficult conditions. But after this school was built and renovated by Save the Children and IhsanRD, I was able to return to education and I am very happy now.”

Kareem*, 11 years old, lives in a camp in rural Idlib, North West Syria, and attends a school supported by Save the Children and its partner organisation, Violet. He told Save the Children:

“I will continue to study and learn until I achieve my dream of becoming a teacher. I was cut off from school for a whole year after being displaced after shelling hit my hometown, as there wasn’t a school in the camp. After a month of settling down, the organisation Violet established schools in the camp and started providing us with education. They have been teaching us English, multiplication and division among other things. Of course it is not like my old school, but it is still a very nice school and I am extremely happy here.”

The project also encompasses family tracing and reunification, alternative care, psychosocial support services, recreational activities as well as community-based child protection initiatives requiring the active involvement of communities.

These also comprise of elements of Save the Children’s evidence-based approaches including “Parenting without Violence”, as well as “Building Brains”, which is a new initiative integrating nutrition with education and targets mothers of children under three years old.

Save the Children has also established and rehabilitated water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in camps, delivered hygiene awareness sessions, improved hygiene and health behaviours and practices, supplied water and water trucking, addressed the most immediate life-saving needs of the conflict-affected populations and will continue to do so throughout the duration of the project. This component has been strengthened following the COVID-19 outbreak, especially in newly established camps, hosting internally displaced people who have arrived due to recent escalations in violence in their hometowns.

Notes to editors:

Save the Children has so far reached over 3,700 children and at least 1,298 adults in camps and host communities across various locations in Al Hasakeh and Deir Al Zour governorates in North East Syria as of the end of August. In coordination with partners in North West Syria, Save the Children has reached over 3,300 children and at least 150 adults in camps and host communities across various locations in Idlib and Aleppo governorates so far.