Skip to main content

Syria: UNICEF says 210,000 children in Homs need urgent humanitarian assistance

Countries
Syria
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date

GENEVA/AMMAN, 1 February 2013 – A United Nations joint mission to the western Syrian governorate of Homs, in which UNICEF took part, found that 420,000 people, half of them are children, need immediate humanitarian assistance.

The month-long mission, which has just concluded, found that about 700,000 people across the governorate were severely affected by the current conflict, including some 635,000 persons displaced from their homes, as well as returnees and host families.

“Children are the worst affected,” says UNICEF Emergency Specialist Mark Choonoo who was on the mission. “Most children I saw were showing signs of distress. It is extremely important that we reach as many of these children as possible with the support they need to cope with their traumatic experiences.”

Out of 1,500 schools in Homs an estimated 200 have been damaged as a result of the fighting – and another 65 are sheltering children and families. This has direct implications on students’ attendance and on the quality of education.

On the last day of the mission, UNICEF visited Talbiseh, a town situated 30 kilometers north of the city of Homs which has experienced heavy fighting in the past year.

UNICEF assistance in the governorate of Homs has included the distribution of blankets, quilts, family hygiene kits and children’s clothes and the provision of remedial education.

In Talbiseh alone, UNICEF provided 1,000 quilts, 1,000 hygiene kits and 2,000 clothing kits for children. Key additional priorities include providing children with psychological support programmes, increasing learning opportunities and rehabilitating the water network.

UNICEF recently appealed for $68.5 million to carry out life-saving programmes inside Syria during the first six months of 2013. Only a fraction of the funds - a little over $8 million – has been received so far.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: http://www.unicef.org

For further information, please contact:
Simon Ingram, UNICEF Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, singram@unicef.org, +962-79-590-4740
Juliette Touma, UNICEF Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, jtouma@unicef.org, +962-79-867-4628