Japan contributes US$300,000 to support UNICEF’s winter response for children in northeast Syria

Damascus, Syria, 1 February 2021 –The Government of Japan has contributed US$300,000 to UNICEF’s winter response, to help protect children in northeast Syria from harsh winter weather. The contribution will ensure that more than 5,000 vulnerable children affected by almost 10 years of violence, displacement, and worsened living conditions are reached with much-needed winter clothing kits.

Inflation, loss of purchasing power and depletion of families’ financial resources, exacerbated by COVID-19 challenges, have compounded the suffering of 11 million people across Syria, estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. Children whose families are struggling to stay afloat, risk being left unprotected against harsh weather conditions by not having proper winter clothing.

“With the crisis in Syria approaching its tenth year, winter brings about another disheartening chapter for children and their families,” says UNICEF Representative in Syria, Mr. Bo Viktor Nylund. “Economic hardship is preventing many families from providing their children with the most basic needs, including clothing.  Timely procurement and distribution of essential and lifesaving winter clothing will help vulnerable children keep warm during cold winter days thanks to funding from the Government of Japan.”

“Japan stays engaged in humanitarian assistance to support children, youth and women wherever they are in Syria to meet their urgent needs,” says Mr. Akira Endo, Special Coordinator for Syria and Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Syria. “The humanitarian crisis in Syria has become more complicated, precisely with the impacts of COVID-19, which deprived thousands of households of their livelihoods. Winter in Syria is harsh on most of the Syrian people, yet harsher on the IDPs who are unable to provide their children with the basic requirements to keep them safe and warm. We sincerely hope that our contribution will find its way to people in need of assistance and alleviate the sufferings of as many Syrian children as possible.”

Since 2017, the Government of Japan has provided more than US$55 million of funding for UNICEF’s interventions in Syria. This most recent contribution will contribute to the Humanitarian Action for Children and Winterization Appeal for 2020 to 2021, planning to reach 435,000 girls and boys with winter kits with a funding requirement estimated to be US$22.44 million.

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