A better tomorrow - Syria's children have their say
Save The Children
Highlights
Ahead of the Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region in March 2019 (Brussels III), Save the Children canvassed the views of hundreds of children in four governorates of Syria about their challenges, priorities for recovery and hopes for the future.
The overwhelming message from children is that they want and need security and stability with their families. More than half of children identify violence, family separation, the destruction of homes and vital infrastructure and lack of access to basic services like education and healthcare as “very serious” challenges facing them and their communities.
As a result of the reverberating effects of the conflict, more than a third of children say they ‘often or always’ feel unsafe, and many also feel distressed, alone and untrusting. Being uneducated and ‘left behind’ due to lack of access to schooling is also a commonly expressed concern.
Despite this, the children surveyed are overwhelming optimistic about the future and their role in creating a better Syria, provided there is peace and stability. They identify a number of priorities for their recovery, including rehabilitating schools and improving access to education for all, repairing vital infrastructure and recreational facilities, and removing explosive remnants of war.
Save the Children is calling on delegates to the Brussels III donor conference to publicly commit to supporting child-focused early recovery in Syria and provide targeted and sustained funding for key sectors on the basis of further consultations with children and youth. Parties to the conflict and the international community must also take concrete steps to create the conditions for peace and protect children, while ensuring equitable access to basic and life-saving services.
