Unaccompanied Syrian children: Urgent support needed

• Conflict and natural disasters, such as last year’s earthquake, will have severe long term mental health impacts 

Press Release, 11 December 2024 - International aid agency World Vision is calling on the international community to prioritise Syrian children, many of whom are unaccompanied and will need mental health support to cope with 14 years of conflict, and the ongoing impact of last year’s devastating earthquake.

Earlier this year the child focussed organisation released a report that highlighted how vulnerable Syria’s children are. World Vision’s report Lost and Alone showed the devastating and desperate living situations that many Syrian children have been forced to endure. 67% of community members in Aleppo and Idleb reported knowing many unaccompanied and separated children in their areas who had lost parental care in the earthquakes. 73% reported noticing an increase in child marriage, especially in Idleb (85%).

“One day of conflict is too much for a child to cope with, let alone 14 long years. On top of this, thousands of children were orphaned or displaced following last year’s earthquake. These children have been left with no choice but to survive alone, with many being forced into child labour or child marriage. The long-term impacts of numerous ongoing crises will be severe, and we must prioritise mental health support as plans for Syria’s future are being put in place,” said Emmanuel Isch, Response Director, World Vision Syria Response.

World Vision is urgently calling for the prioritisation of peace and the protection of all civilians, especially children. The NGO has been actively involved in addressing the Syrian crisis across Syria, Türkiye, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011, and will continue to work with communities across these countries to support the most vulnerable.

“Syrian children deserve peace, safety, love and protection. No child should experience the traumas they have been forced to endure for 14 years. World Vision will continue to deliver for vulnerable children who have been impacted by this devastating conflict. We call on the international community to do the same.  More than 90% of Syrians live under the poverty line. The UN asked for US $4.07 billion to fund its response inside Syria this year, and to date only 31.6% of that money has been given. This must change. Syrian children must be prioritised, now and in the future,” said Isch.

The desperate conditions faced by unaccompanied and separated Syrian children exposes them to unimaginable risks of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Stripped of the safety net of their families, these vulnerable children endure relentless hardship, often going without food, clean water or shelter - the very basics needed to survive.

"Immediate action is required to protect children and ensure they receive the assistance they critically need, including mental health support. Humanitarian organisations, like World Vision, must be guaranteed unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of humanitarian workers must be prioritised to enable the safe and unrestricted delivery of lifesaving aid,” Isch added.

ENDS

*Nearly half of the estimated 5 million people in Northwest Syria are children (approximately 2,490,000); 550,290 of these girls and boys are at significant risk of facing significant mental health issues. (Assuming a prevalence of 22.1% in long-term conflict-affected populations (based on 10+ years of military occupation and conflict) per The Lancet and using the figure of 2.49 million children per OCHA.)