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Lifesaving mine risk education for children with disabilities in Aleppo

UNICEF-trained volunteers offer awareness-raising sessions in sign language

Khudr Al-Issa and Yasmine Saker
a school girl with a white flag
UNICEF/Syria/2019/Al-Issa

Aleppo, Syria, 4 April 2020- Following respite in violence across Aleppo, children and their families started returning to their homes in war-ravaged neighbourhoods where explosive hazards are prevalent. Children with disability are especially vulnerable to these risks.

 

a teacher in front of a classroom
UNICEF/Syria/2019/Al-Issa
A UNICEF-supported teacher gives a mine risk education session to children with hearing and speech difficulties, using sign language, at a specialized centre in Aleppo.
A BOY HOLDING A WHITE FLAG IN FRONT OF HIS CLASS
UNICEF/Syria/2019/Al-Issa
Faisal, 12, takes part in teaching his peers about the risk of explosive hazards, using sign language, at a UNICEF-supported specialized centre for children with hearing and speech difficulties in Aleppo.
children discussing in a classroom
UNICEF/Syria/2019/Al-Issa
Sabah, 8, is taking part in interactive activities as part of the UNICEF-supported mine risk education session at a specialized centre for children with hearing and speech difficulties in Aleppo.

“Children with hearing difficulties cannot hear sounds of explosions, for example, making them less aware of the risks around them,” says Nourhan Mahjoub, UNICEF Child Protection Officer in Aleppo, Syria.

 

a girl sitting in a classroom
UNICEF/Syria/2019/Al-Issa
Sima, 11, attends a UNICEF-supported mine risk education session, given in sign-language, for children at a specialized centre for children with hearing and speech difficulties in Aleppo.
a teacher and a girl student working on a paper model
UNICEF/Syria/2019/Al-Issa
Ruba, 13, is doing an activity with her teacher, to learn about the risk of explosive hazards and how to protect herself against them, at a UNICEF-supported centre for children with hearing and speech difficulties in Aleppo.

“The same goes for children with speech difficulties who are unable to report explosive hazards they might come across,” she continues.

 

a boy pointing on a board
UNICEF/Syria/2019/Al-Issa
Zakariya, 10, attends a UNICEF-supported mine risk education session at a specialized centre for children with hearing and speech difficulties in Aleppo.
A teacher with a little girl
UNICEF/Syria/2019/Al-Issa
Shahed, 7, and her family moved from rural Aleppo to the city so that she can pursue her learning at a specialized centre for children with hearing and speech difficulties. Here, she attends a UNICEF-supported mine risk education session given entirely in sign-language.

To help protect children with hearing and speech difficulties against explosive hazards, and as part of its mine risk education programme, UNICEF held trainings for volunteers to administer awareness-raising sessions using sign language. Thanks to generous contributions from Canada, Germany, Spain, Belgium, the Office of U.S Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), UNICEF reached over 1,400 children with disabilities with the lifesaving sessions since the beginning of 2019.