UNICEF chief: 6.9 million Syrian children urgently need humanitarian assistance

[UNICEF Chief Calls for Urgent Humanitarian Assistance for 7 Million Syrian Children]

• Catherine Russell emphasizes child‑centered investment as vital to Syria’s recovery trajectory
• Highlights critical education, health, and water priorities from an exclusive SANA interview

Updated 9 sec ago

October 1, 2026 08:50

DAMASCUS: UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell announced Wednesday that approximately 7 million Syrian children stand in dire humanitarian need, as the United Nations agency joins forces with the Syrian government and local partners to reconstruct child‑support systems and revive essential services across the nation.

In an exclusive conversation with SANA during her official field visit to Syria, Russell clarified that her mandate centers on conducting a comprehensive review of UNICEF’s operations, strengthening technical partnerships, and expanding institutional capacity to respond to the surging demand for child‑focused aid.

Restoring Essential Services

Russell outlined UNICEF’s portfolio across Syria, featuring school rebuild projects, routine childhood immunisation campaigns, and nutritional support for vulnerable families. She additionally detailed technical backing employed to reopen the Jobar water pumping station in Damascus—restoring safe drinking water for more than one million inhabitants in the capital and adjoining countryside.

Access to quality education, primary healthcare, clean water, and adequate sanitation, alongside formal schooling, remains indispensable to children’s overall development and long‑term socioeconomic potential, Russell explained.

Supporting Returnees

When families and children returned to their hometowns, Russell reported widespread enthusiasm for relocating back. She described facilitating voluntary reintegration efforts as pivotal, while noting that a significant obstacle involves assisting state institutions help returning individuals, especially younger populations, rejoin normal society.

UNICEF’s mandate extends beyond primary schooling to include vocational skills training and youth empowerment programmes. Russell reiterated that strategic investment in children underpins Syria’s broader reconstruction ambitions and reinforced the organisation’s dedication to heighten government capability and administrative structures dedicated to serving minors.

Partnerships with Syrian Authorities

Russell stated UNICEF leverages its global expertise and extensive prior involvement in Syria to advance intervention across the country. she argued that impactful outcomes emerge most strongly through direct collaboration with national governments, who retain ultimate accountability for their citizens’ wellbeing.

UNICEF characterises its partnership relationship with Syrian authorities as robust, expressing gratitude for ongoing coordination in domains encompassing health, education, and child protection. International allies are urged to cooperate closely in creating conditions under which Syrian youth may flourish and succeed, confirming UNICEF’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding a brighter tomorrow for the next generation.

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