John, as both a Syrian and a humanitarian, I am truly fearful for the next generations of Syrians. This month marks 13 months since massive earthquakes struck the Türkiye-Syria border and 13 years of civil war in Syria. Children are reeling from the double blow of conflict and crisis in Syria, and around the world.
In my hometown of Jableh, my family’s home collapsed, killing two of my teenage cousins and three other members of the family. As we mourned our loved ones and struggled to rebuild, I asked myself, “Could things get any worse?” Unfortunately, the answer was yes.
Since the earthquake, Syrians have faced a trifecta of challenges: renewed conflict, the environmental effects of the climate crisis and a crumbling economy. A staggering 90% of households are struggling to cover essential needs, leaving families to make impossible choices for their children.
“We are barely surviving,” said Zaina,* a mother of six, living in an informal camp in Raqqa supported by Save the Children. “We don’t have any money to buy wood. We have no choice but to walk in the streets to collect plastic and anything that we can to warm ourselves.”
Too many families like Zaina’s across the globe are facing difficult choices – deciding between putting food on the table or heating their homes. The path forward is clear: We need to restore basic services in crisis zones around the world. Beyond repairing damaged infrastructure, we need to create safe spaces, schools and systems to help children recover and succeed.
We need to invest in sustainable projects to help parents secure good-paying jobs, and support farming so people are less reliant on food assistance. Additionally, we need to build health systems so children have access to routine medical screenings and care. We must also provide mental health support so children and families can cope with the trauma they’ve endured.
Right now, there’s nowhere near enough funding or support to achieve this. As humanitarians, our work has never been harder. But I am hopeful, as we all must be to do this work. Children are resilient, and together, we can help them survive, recover and go on to live in peace in Syria and across the globe.
