Since 2011, the Syrian Civil War has been one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with more than 16 million displaced civilians in dire need of assistance. Violent conflict demolished local infrastructure, further exacerbating the struggles of the Syrian population. While all livelihoods have been dismantled, one group has suffered more than the rest: children. However, this article will dive into the UNICEF education program and how it is helping to slowly rebuild the lives of youth in Syria.

Tragedy Strikes

As noted above, the war in Syria has displaced millions, with almost half being under the age of 18. On the run, without a stable home and constantly fearing for their lives, education is the last priority for these children. To put it bluntly, the conflict has stripped them of a basic human right.

There is soon to be an entire generation of children who never went to school in Syria. Roughly one-third of those who are enrolled do not make it to the end of primary school and more than 7,000 schools have been damaged or destroyed.

More than 2 million children are out of school and of the few classrooms that exist, all are overcrowded and lack basic materials. Teachers are inadequately trained and cannot overcome language barriers and most children face a certain degree of trauma

Modern-day Syria, with its everlasting conflict, has made it nearly impossible for children to receive a quality education, let alone even be enrolled in school. This could have drastic impacts on their cognitive development and future lives, making it nearly impossible to do anything substantial. The children who should have been following their dreams to become doctors, scientists and educators instead had to flee their homes in hopes of survival. However, a glimmer of hope has presented itself in recent years: UNICEF’s Emergency Education Program.

UNICEF Work in Syria

UNICEF established the “Self Learning Program” in Syria to support children who previously had little access to formal education, implementing Curriculum B, a similar program that looks to help students catch up to their peers, creating new classrooms across the country and training a host of new educators

The mission has been successful thus far, as more than 350,000 “out-of-school children have enrolled in Self-Learning Program or Curriculum B activities across Syria, 97% of the four-year program goal.”

UNICEF’s program has supported thousands of children in Syria, and even more across the world.

– Josh Weinstein

Josh is based in Chester Springs, PA, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr