John,

I recently traveled to Syria, which is at a critical turning point after the change in government last December brought new hope to a population that has endured 14 years of war.

I saw firsthand the devastation that this conflict has brought to the country’s children — and I was fortunate to visit with some of the extraordinary people who are helping them through this ongoing crisis.

This is a moment of real possibility for lasting peace, security, and prosperity for Syrians. But relative calm should not be mistaken for recovery: 17 million people, including 7.5 million children, still need assistance.  Malnutrition is climbing, the health network is severely strained and two million people remain in camps.

Children in Syria deserve a durable peace. 

My recent travels through Syria took me to Damascus, Aleppo and Idlib — and today, I’d like to share with you some powerful images and stories from this eye-opening trip.

DAMASCUS – JULY 14, 2025
 

My trip began with a survey of the destruction that the war has brought to suburbs outside Damascus. This area, once home to 1.5 million people, is now a large-scale expanse of rubble as far as the eye can see.

Flattened homes and apartment buildings, schools turned into piles of rubble, entire neighborhoods utterly destroyed — it was difficult to see, but essential that we understand the true extent of the devastation. 

As we drove through the area, we witnessed people sheltering in some of the damaged buildings, along with others who were trying to rebuild their homes. For millions of families across Syria, the priority in the months and years ahead must be ensuring children are safe and secure — and that schools are rebuilt and reopened so they may continue their education and create a better future.

ALEPPO - JULY 16, 2025
 

In Aleppo, we met with Syria’s Minister of Education, who told us that over 40% of schools in Syria are either damaged or destroyed. That’s more than 7,000 buildings.

Hospitals and health clinics across Syria have also suffered extraordinary damage, only adding to the challenges children are facing — particularly the nearly 800,000 young children who are malnourished.

Before families can safely return and resume their lives here in Aleppo, these critical buildings and services must be restored. 

IDLIB - JULY 16, 2025
 

The team and I also visited a stabilization center near Idlib, where the staff is doing incredible work supporting malnourished children. I saw mothers who walked an hour to bring their children here for treatment — and who would otherwise have had nowhere else to go.

One mother I met at this clinic, Rana*, brought her three children Shahed* (5), Khalifa* (4) and Ahmad* (5 months) for evaluation and treatment for malnutrition. She told us that her oldest child, Shahed — who was initially treated for malnutrition — is now on the mend. Rana now visits the clinic regularly to make sure her children are all growing and thriving.

This particular clinic was affected by the recent U.S. cuts to lifesaving aid, but fortunately, Save the Children was able to secure other sources of funding to keep this critical facility open to help children who remain in urgent need of care.

I could go on and on with further updates from this incredible trip across Syria, but for now I’ll leave you with this: my heartfelt gratitude for the role Save the Children supporters play in making it possible for us to reach children affected by this 14-year-long war.

Together, we’re making a life-changing impact, and we’ll continue to do everything possible to help children in Syria and crisis zones across the globe survive and thrive — despite the extreme challenges they face.

With gratitude,

Janti Soeripto
President & CEO
Save the Children