The Director of the Middle East and North Africa at UNICEF, Edward Beigbeder, revealed that approximately 4.6 million Syrian children live in dire conditions and urgently need basic services.
UN official’s announcement came during his recent visit to the Maarrat al-Nu’man area in Idlib Province, where he was shocked by the scale of humanitarian needs in Syria.
In a video from his visit, Beigbeder stated, “Syrians want to return to their original areas despite the destruction and lack of basic services.” He noted that the visit follows the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, adding, “For the first time in 15 years, the UN is moving from Aleppo to Idlib again.”
Beigbeder highlighted that 7.5 million children in Syria are in desperate need of humanitarian aid, while 6.4 million face ongoing risks and require urgent protection services. He also pointed out that over 2.4 million children are out of school, increasing risks of child labor, early marriage, human trafficking, and recruitment into armed conflict.
After more than 13 years of war, Syria remains one of the world’s most complex humanitarian crises. The conflict has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 13 million people.
In a significant development, Bashar al-Assad fled Syria on December 8 following a surprise offensive by opposition factions led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, raising questions about the country’s future and the implications for its deteriorating humanitarian situation.
