UNHCR Launches “Back to School” Campaign in Support of Displaced Syrian Children

Dubai, MINA — The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has launched a digital campaign that aims to secure much-needed support for millions of displaced Syrian children, both inside Syria and in neighboring countries.

The campaign, which comes at a time when students around the world are preparing for the new academic year, aims to help millions of school-aged Syrians access education and to go back to school.

According to UN reports as quoted by WAM, one out of every three schools in Syria has been damaged or destroyed, while more are used as a shelters or for other purposes, thus creating a major impediment for more than 2 million children’s access to education within the country. In neighboring countries, the situation is equally troubling as increasing poverty and debt among refugees has prevented some 700,000 Syrian children from attending school.

Noting the importance of access to education for displaced children, Houssam Chahine, Head of Private Sector Partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa region at UNHCR, commented, “As parents and caregivers in the region prepare their children to return to school, we hope that children who have been deprived of their basic right to education remain in their thoughts. We believe that we can all ensure that they do not lose out on their education.”

The humanitarian crisis in Syria, now in its eighth year, has resulted in multiple challenges for Syrian children, particularly with regards to access to education which directly impacts future. Conflict, harsh conditions and limited financial resources have deprived almost 3 million Syrian school-age children of education, including inside Syria and neighboring countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.

“Supporting education is one of UNHCR’s most important priorities – it is an invaluable investment in the future of refugee and displaced children as well as a key form of psycho-social protection. Education protects displaced families and children from having to resort to negative coping mechanisms such as child labor, early marriage, among others”.

UNHCR and its partners have been providing education to refugees and displaced persons since the onset of the humanitarian crisis in Syria. This has been achieved by focusing on three key aspects: access to education, improving the quality of education and strengthening educational systems.

Through this campaign, UNHCR seeks to complement its efforts to ensure the rehabilitation of schools, training of teachers and the provision of resources to displaced and refugee families to ensure education for millions of children. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)