Data on the situation of children in the Middle East and North Africa
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Syria Humanitarian Situation Report No. 6 (Earthquake): 15 - 21 March 2023

On 19 February 2023, Israa, the mother of 11-year-old Jana, left, and 10-year-old Judy, right, sits with her daughters in a shelter in the Hamadanieh neighbourhood of Aleppo city, Syria. The family has been deeply impacted by a devastating earthquake that destroyed their home, leaving them with nothing but each other. Despite the immense challenges they face, Israa and her daughters are receiving essential cash assistance from UNICEF to help them through this difficult time.
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  • Since the earthquake, 97,400 households have been displaced in Syria. Population movements remain highly fluid.
  • The Child Protection Area of Responsibility observed an increased risk in separated and unaccompanied children, significantly increased levels of psychological distress and reliance on harmful coping mechanisms (including child labour and early marriage) and increases in other forms of gender-based violence such as domestic violence, exploitation and trafficking.
  • UNICEF and partners continue supporting children and caregivers in collective shelters with psychological first aid, mental health and psychosocial support, recreational activities and parenting programmes.
  • Over 66,000 highly vulnerable people in Aleppo and Hama received emergency cash assistance. A survey conducted among beneficiaries revealed how unconditional/unrestricted emergency cash assistance was instrumental in meeting basic needs and mitigating the economic shock created by the earthquake.
  • Together with WHO, UNICEF and partners successfully rolled out an oral cholera vaccine campaign, reaching 1,669,298 people over one year old – with a 95 per cent coverage in Idleb and 94 per cent in Aleppo.
  • Preliminary findings from the Syria Earthquake Recovery Needs Assessment (SERNA) estimates US$8.9 billion in damages and losses, and US$14.8 billion in recovery needs over the next three years.
Syria Humanitarian Situation Report No. 6 (Earthquake): 15 - 21 March 2023

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