On the 6th of February this year, in the early hours of dawn, a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale struck southern Turkey and northern Syria. The earthquake claimed the lives of over 2,150 children in northwestern Syria 💔 and left more than 6,700 others injured, according to health authorities, in addition to displacing tens of thousands
In addition to dozens of children who have been separated from their families, the underserved shelters exacerbate the children’s situation. With the spread of a cholera epidemic in the region before the earthquake, children’s exposure to trauma, and the loss of family social support provided, they become more vulnerable to diseases and other protection risks, especially the most vulnerable and children with disabilities.
After years of schools being targeted, the earthquake’s damage adds to the burden on the already strained education sector, leaving 200,000 children without schools.
Recognizing that education as a fundamental pillar for restoring stability, we collaborated with a group of organizations and agencies operating in Northern Syria to conduct a rapid assessment of schools shortly after the earthquake. We worked with education directorates, engineers’ & teachers’ unions. 916 schools with 1,036 buildings were assessed. 15 blocks are hazardous & irreparable, 80 need reinforcement, and 914 require repairs.
How did Child Guardians Organisation respond?
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Since the first week of the disaster, we have conducted visits to shelters & schools that have turned into makeshift shelters, distributing over 19,500 protection & dignity kits within six months.
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Our priority is supporting the most vulnerable children & providing them with urgent protection from violence & exploitation. We have provided case management services to 1,453 boys & girls since February 6th.
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The earthquake has left children feeling helpless and insecure, with changes in their daily lives causing disruptions in sleep & social interactions. Since the disaster began, our team has been providing Psychological First Aid to children and their families. We’ve offered group Psychosocial Support activities to near 25,600 children and mental health services to 133 cases, creating 118 safe spaces in Idlib and western Aleppo
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The earthquake claimed the lives of at least 43 individuals within the educational workforce. We provided stipends to 1058 teachers & educational staff to address the ongoing extensive need.
- In addition to school safety assessment, our response included rehabilitating, providing operational and educational supplies, as well as training staff on child protection minimum standards in emergencies in 115 schools.
- The earthquake left an educational gap for at least 200,000 children. We worked to fill it with catch up programmes reaching 16,800 children, while providing books and educational materials.
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Our team delivered protection and awareness messages to 20,500 children and 5,625 caregivers affected by the disaster.
- We believe in education as a right for all. We succeeded in providing education for 37 children with disabilities in our centres and supported 167 children to access inclusive education in 30 public schools.
- The earthquake caused destruction to infrastructure & areas designated for children. We supported Child Protection and Youth Community Committees which engaged 618 civil activists who stepped up to implement a variety of post-disaster recovery initiatives, including the restoration & rehabilitation of roads, public facilities, child-friendly spaces and children play areas.
The response to the disaster began immediately, with the assistance of local hands. However, the recovery efforts are still ongoing and are planned to continue for up to two years after the disaster. Much remains to be done to restore the basic rights of childhood!
How can you help?
Donate Directly!
Your support can make a real difference and positive impact on children’s lives and help them reach the essentials they need to recover. Here is how your donation can help:
29$ provides essential items such as food and water to a child affected by the earthquake.
80$ provides a child with a protection kit, including a dignity kit if distributed for girls.
95$ provides comprehensive case management support to the most vulnerable survivors.This includes access to psychosocial and mental health support, family tracing and reunion, and other essential services.
10$ Provides books for one child.
25$ Provides stationery, a backpack, and a water bottle for one child.
80$ educating a child for one semester.
120$ Covers the cost of special education for a child for one semester.
400$ Covers the cost of equipment for children with disabilities (wheelchair, hearing aids, etc.).
800$ Helps set up an educational space with seats, a board, and a tent or classroom rehabilitation.
150$ Covers the salary of a teacher instructing 50 children for an entire month
Email Your School!
Encourage your local school to join our cause. We’ve crafted two email templates to simplify the process.The first is intended for you to directly contact the school, and attach a concept note for a project to sponsor a school in Syria, while the second is tailored for your child or other children to engage in supporting education for children affected by the earthquake.
Parents email template:
Child email template:
Share Our Message!
Spread the word about our campaign on social media and play a crucial role in increasing awareness of our mission. Join us in restoring hope to a generation that has endured over a decade of war’s impact before the earthquake. Together, we can make a difference.
Suggested text to use:
🙏 Your contribution, no matter how small, can make a difference.
After years of schools being targeted, the earthquake damaged at least 1000 schools in Syria, further straining the education sector and leaving 200,000 children without schools.
A new campaign was launched to restore these schools, restore normalcy, and provide a safe learning environment. Every child deserves the chance to learn and reach their full potential, and it can be possible with your help. Visit the campaign page to know more how.
#EducationForEveryChild #RebuildHope #BrighterFuture #RisingFromTheRubble #RebuldingForChildren’sFuture #SyriaEarthquake
Notes for Parents:
- As we continue to follow the news of the earthquake, it can be difficult to know how to help our children process and respond to what they are seeing and hearing. One way that we can support our children is by encouraging them to take action and do something to help those in need.Engaging in acts of kindness and service can have a positive impact on children’s emotional well-being and can help them develop empathy and compassion for others. By giving our children things to do, we can empower them to take action and make a positive difference in the world.
- To that end, we wanted to share a template email that your child can use to advocate for a crowdfunding campaign that supports children affected by the earthquake. We encourage you to work with your child to customise the email and make it their own.
- Please note that this is just a suggestion and that there are many other ways that your child can get involved and support those in need. We hope that you will find this to be a helpful resource and that it will inspire your family to take action and make a positive impact in your community and beyond.
