Syria: Your donation triples in value

As children across Canada flock back to school this week, children and families fleeing war and conflict can only dream of a chance to go to school. Hadija* was twelve years old when I met her. Her family had fled Syria for the safety of Iraq. Imagine that – going to Iraq for safety! “I miss school,” she said. “I’m bored.” So I opened a book and asked her what it said. “I don’t know,” she replied in a quiet voice. “I used to know, but I forgot. I haven’t been able to go to school for three years.” As children across Canada flock back to school this week, children and families fleeing war and conflict can only dream of a chance to go to school. And losing an education is only one of the risks. Imagine, your child is sick or hurt and you are on the move – where will you find a doctor? And, even more terrifying are the potential risks if you are separated from your family. *Hadija’s name has been changed to protect her identity. Syria – A Generation at Risk While these hazards – loss of education, health risks, exploitation and abuse – are all there for children on the move, most child rights violations actually start when children get ‘stuck’ – stuck in a refugee camp, stuck in no-man’s land, stuck in a legal limbo status (are they considered a refugee, a migrant or an ‘IDP’ an internally displaced person, stuck at a border crossing, stuck without identity as ‘undocumented’ or ‘irregular child’. In all these cases there isn’t much ‘movement’ involved – but these children face risks we can scarcely imagine. Families know they will face these horrors when they flee their homes. And how terrible must the situation be to face the perils of human traffickers, leaky boats, checkpoints with barbed wire and guns? It is almost impossible for those who have not lived it to imagine. It is easy to accuse governments of dragging their feet and not doing enough – but even though we know about the horrors of war, no one was ready for all these people who found the perils of a dangerous escape to be better than staying in the familiar surroundings of home. After four years of conflict the children of Syria are looking for safety and security. Some have taken dangerous trips to Europe. Some are living in refugee camps in surrounding countries. Some are caught in a warzone in Syria. All are in need of our support. UNICEF is there Our UNICEF colleagues are working to support European countries receiving children and families and providing safe spaces for children to play and get psychosocial support. In Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, we are providing children and families with clean water, vaccines, education, psychosocial support, winter supplies and protection. UNICEF is also inside Syria distributing life-saving supplies to children and families caught in the crosshairs of conflict. This is not a time to wring our hands. Nor is it a time to point fingers. It is a time to act – to do what we can for the millions of children who have had to flee their homes for safety’s sake. So that next September – if not long before – they will be able to join all those other children who find themselves safe, secure, and back in school. Sincerely, David Morley President & CEO, UNICEF Canada P.S Your donation today will triple in value thanks to matches by our generous partner Maple Leaf Foods and an anonymous donor up to $25,000.