Syria Improving access to education

    According to the United Nations, half of all the schools in Syria cannot be used. Buildings have been destroyed, teaching staff have been displaced, many families are too poor to send their children to school. As a result, one in three children in Syria has not attended school for years.

    Support from Germany will allow the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF to reach these children with education opportunities as quickly as possible. Since many children have suffered traumatic experiences of war, violence and displacement, the BMZ will also be funding psychosocial counselling for traumatised children.

    Another urgent task for UNICEF is repairing school buildings. Schools are to become safe spaces once again, where children and young people are offered education, a hot meal and programmes to help them overcome their terrible experiences.

    Even before Assad’s regime was toppled, conditions for education had already been improved for nearly 1.5 million children and young people, and child protection measures had been put in place. The BMZ is contributing funding to UNICEF’s No Lost Generation programme with the aim of improving access to education. The experience from this programme will now form the basis for further support.

    In addition, the BMZ is promoting a project by the non-governmental organisation Arche noVa that is operating schools for some 3,000 children and young people, and helping traumatised children go back to school.


    As at: 10/01/2025