New Delhi: The UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder Wednesday issued a statement calling for peace and increased humanitarian support in Syria.
“After 14 years of war, millions of children have known nothing but conflict, forcing them to grow up far too quickly,” said Beigbeder. “Yet there is hope and an opportunity for a better future.”
During his visit to Damascus, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, and Idlib, Beigbeder witnessed the dire situation for children firsthand. In these areas, millions of children are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection services, a UNICEF release noted.
“As I travelled across Syria, the scale of the need was staggering,” said Beigbeder, noting that 7.5 million children require humanitarian assistance and 6.4 million are in urgent need of protection services.
Beigbeder stressed the urgent need for a large-scale social protection scheme to prevent vulnerable children and families from falling deeper into poverty. The rising prices of fuel, bread, and basic goods have exacerbated the challenges faced by families.
UNICEF remains committed to delivering aid to children in Syria, the release empahised. In 2024, the organization reached over 4.6 million people with critical services, including education, nutrition, health, child protection, water, sanitation, and social protection.
Also Read: 75 Indians evacuated from strife-torn Syria to Lebanon, to return to India via commercial flights