On 6 February 2023, several devastating earthquakes struck northwest Syria and southeast Türkiye, killing 55,000 people and injuring more than 130,000. Overall, this catastrophe affected approximately 15 million people in both countries.
In Syria, the natural disaster only exacerbated the lives of those living in conflict. In Türkiye, 2.5 million children (many of them Syrian refugees) faced an increased risk of poverty, child labor, or child marriage following the disaster.
Nearly 50,000 buildings, including critical infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, were damaged and millions of people were displaced from their homes.
Supporting young people in Syria
From the first moment, ChildFund member WeWorld, supported by other members of the Alliance, began the distribution of humanitarian aid in Syria, focused on caring for people living in the affected areas and the most vulnerable groups, as well as providing support to families living in temporary shelters.
One year later, this work continues, with a focus on the reconstruction of essential buildings and infrastructure, while continuing to address the needs of children and families. The needs of all those impacted remain extensive.
Access to education
We are also working to ensure that children have access to education during this uncertain period in their lives. To date, a total of 20,231 boys and girls as well as 291 teachers have received multiple forms of support including:
- The provision of safe and inclusive learning spaces: this includes 14 temporary learning centers for remedial classes or homework, as well as summer clubs with recreational activities. We have repaired and rehabilitated a total of 22 schools, providing furniture, such as desks, and other necessary items damaged by the earthquake.
- Psychosocial support and awareness-raising activities to promote community well-being, resilience, and safety in affected schools.
- We have rehabilitated one vocational school and have plans to support another 5 centers. We will resume regular emergency education programming, focusing on communities affected and supported by our earthquake response program in rural Aleppo.
Our plans for the future
The ChildFund Alliance Syria Response Plan, which will be active until March 2025, includes a range of interventions:
- Provide better access to water for 440,000 people, including the rehabilitation and replacement of 8km of water pipes.
- Distributing hygiene kits, dignity kits, and diaper kits to 5,000 homes connected to the planned infrastructure works.
- Rehabilitation of 5 vocational schools and the provision of vocational training courses for 250 young people, whose livelihoods will also be supported through the provision of start-up kits and on-the-job learning programs.
In Syria, children are living within a complex emergency, and many remain dependent on humanitarian aid. This often does not adequately meet their basic needs and poses challenges in terms of the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of interventions.
A long-term focus on resilience
Therefore, investing in early recovery and resilience programs allows us to take a longer-term approach and promote longer-lasting support for affected children, thereby reducing aid dependency and empowering local communities.
We are determined to respond to the needs of thousands of children and adolescents – those who are out of school or at risk of dropping out. So many have lacked access to learning opportunities and now face an uncertain future.
It is our priority to rebuild, rehabilitate, and do better, and to ensure young people can access safe and protective learning spaces, well-equipped with educational materials and with trained teachers. Therefore, we will continue to work in partnership with communities so that young Syrians can access equitable and quality education, strengthen their resilience, and build a positive future.