Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUNICEF / SYRIA CHILDREN
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: UNICEF / SYRIA CHILDREN
TRT: 02:21
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNICEF ON SCREEN
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 17 FEBRUARY 2025, ALEPPO, SYRIA
1. Wide shot, destruction in Aleppo, Syria
2. Wide shot, Cidra, 16 years old, lost her arm in 2016 when a missile struck her and her brother while they were outside buying bread for their family
3. Medium shot, Cidra, 16 years old, stands in front of a destroyed building, holding a book in her hands
4. Close-up shot, Cidra, 16 years old, stands in front of a destroyed building, holding a book in her hands
5. Wide shot, Cidra, 16 years old, stands in front of a destroyed building, holding a book in her hands
6. Medium shot, Cidra, 16 years old, at a UNICEF-supported adolescent development and participation (ADAP) centre in Aleppo City
The centre provided her with vital support, helping her rebuild her confidence and acquire essential skills.
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Cidra, 16-years-old:
“In 2016, when I was six years old, I went outside with my five-year-old brother to get bread for our family. On our way back home, a missile struck us. We lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in the hospital. I kept asking my mother, 'I can’t feel my arms, my hands.' That’s when she told me, 'Your hands are gone.' Through all the hardships we’ve faced since 2016 until now in 2025, my mother has been my strongest support. My message to every young girl and boy, whether my age or older: Keep pushing forward with your studies. No matter the challenges or difficulties you face, never give up. Education will shape your destiny.”
8. Wide shot, a sign inside a classroom displaying the Arabic alphabet
9. Medium shot, Yousef, 8 years old, from Homs, in a classroom writing in Braille
Despite being visually impaired, Yousef's journey is a powerful testament to resilience, talent, and the power of inclusive education
10. Close up shot, Yousef using his Braille typewriter
11. Wide shot, inside Yousef’s classroom supported by UNICEF and its partners
UNICEF supported over 9,000 students across Syria through inclusive education programmes. These efforts were made possible through the partnership and generous funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the KFW Development Bank, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and the governments of Span, Finland, Japan, Bulgaria, Australia, and Ireland.
12. Wide shot, Inside the classroom, Yousef is answering the teacher's question in Arabic
13. Meduim shot, Inside the classroom, Yousef is answering the teacher's question in Arabic
14. Wide shot, destruction to buildings and infrastructure in Aleppo, Syria
15. Wide shot, destruction to buildings and infrastructure in Aleppo, Syria
16. Wide shot, destruction to buildings and infrastructure in Aleppo, Syria
17. Wide shot, Nour, a 13-year-old from Aleppo, walking through the ruins of destroyed buildings
18. Close up shot, Nour, a 13-year-old from Aleppo, walking through the ruins of destroyed buildings
19. Meduim shot, Nour, a 13-year-old from Aleppo, looking at the ruins of destroyed buildings
As families in Syria adjust to a new era in the country’s history following 14 years of brutal conflict, UNICEF calls for urgent support to ensure children have a safe and prosperous path ahead.
More than 75 per cent of Syria's 10.5 million children are estimated to have been born during the 14-year civil war, with their entire childhood set against a backdrop of displacement, violence, and devastation.
“Years of war and violence have shattered the lives of Syria’s children, with many enduring a lifetime of hardship,” said UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell. “We need to work urgently to ensure that every child in the country, wherever they are, can reclaim a childhood, access to learning, and a life free from violence and fear.”
A recent surge in violence around Syria’s coastal areas this month reportedly claimed the lives of at least 13 children, including a six-month-old baby, while causing additional civilian casualties and injuries. Thousands of families were displaced during the attacks, and critical infrastructure was damaged.
The overall humanitarian situation remains dire for children across Syria, with nine in ten people living below the poverty line and many families forced to resort to desperate measures to cope, including child labour, and early marriage for young girls.
