Nour’s call for change: a Syrian girl’s plea for a better future
Amid Syria’s ongoing crisis, 13-year-old Nour from Aleppo stands as a voice for her peers, urging urgent action to rebuild essential services and protect children's futures
Aleppo City – In Syria, the recent changes in government since December 2024 mark a historic opportunity for positive change and renewed hope for children and their families. After nearly 14 years of crisis, the country faces a critical humanitarian situation, with vital infrastructure on the brink of collapse—impacting children the most as they continue to bear the heaviest burden.
Many children face violence, displacement, hunger, and limited access to education, clean water, sanitation, health care, and protection services. Addressing the children and adults of the world, Nour, a 13-year-old from Aleppo, Syria, voices the challenges she and her peers face, advocating for their right to thrive and fulfil their potential.
>> Watch Nour's message in Arabic
Humanitarian efforts have played a crucial role in sustaining key social systems, providing shock-responsive support, and preventing further deterioration. However, these systems continue to operate at minimal capacity, and the current support falls short of ensuring long-term sustainability or addressing severe infrastructure decline. The weakened delivery capacity risks reversing hard-won progress, undermining efforts to build sustainable, resilient systems.
Children remain at grave risk from unexploded ordnance, with an estimated five million children exposed to danger and nearly 300,000 devices scattered across Syria. The ongoing conflict in some regions has also led to a concerning rise in child casualties, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive protection measures. Attacks on civilian infrastructure continue to disrupt safe access to essential services, including education, healthcare, nutrition, and clean water.
In this critical moment, UNICEF remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting and supporting Syria’s children. Over the past 100 days, UNICEF has worked
tirelessly to develop a principled, efficient, and effective country programme that is agile, responsive and nationally aligned to support Syria in its path towards recovery, peace and development.
