UNICEF supports self-learning at Al-Hol camp
With generous contributions from Canada and Educate A Child, UNICEF has set up three learning centres reaching 5,500 children and planning to establish four more centers.
Since late 2018, over 64,000 people, mostly women and children, have arrived at Al-Hol camp fleeing violence in Hajin in eastern Deir-ez-Zor, bringing the total camp population to over 73,000 – all of them living in extremely difficult conditions. Most of the arriving children had only been attending school sporadically, while others had never seen the inside of a classroom. This means that over 23,000 school-aged children at the camp are at risk of missing out on their learning To help out-of-school children at the camp continue their learning, and thanks to generous contributions from Canada and Educate A Child, UNICEF has set up three learning centres reaching 5,500 children. Lack of space and teachers at the camp, combined with multiple languages and nationalities of the children are only a few of the challenges that UNICEF’s partners on the ground face on a daily basis.
“Our school was destroyed in fighting,” , “I’m so grateful to be able to continue my learning,”
“I was so happy when I found the learning centre at the camp,” says Ahmad. “I was worried I would have to suspend my learning,”.
UNICEF is planning to establish four more centers, bringing the total number of children to over 13,000, which is over 50 per cent of the those in need of education support, but the needs remain massive. At the centres, children study a specially designed curriculum that allows those who have missed out on years of education because of conflict and displacement to catch up with their peers. They also regain a sense of normality and structure to help them cope with their situation. UNICEF is also identifying and training teachers among the camp’s residents to be able to support the children’s learning journey.
