UNFPA supports students in rural Aleppo to continue their learning despite COVID-19 restrictions
Students from rural and hard to reach places defy the risks of violence and COVID-19 to pursue their futures.
I came here to succeed despite all challenges", said Jamila, who is one of 1,000 students who came from rural Aleppo and hard-to-reach areas to Aleppo schools to submit their high school national exams, which will determine the rest of their future.
In the challenging Syrian context, where students are leaving their families to take exams in a place far from home and often passing through crossing points between two conflicting sides, thousands of young students are forced to live through conflict in Syria with limited access to essential services.
In addition to several hurdles, COVID-19 is bringing a new threat to an already struggling country and its people, making delivering life-saving assistance even harder. The COVID-19 outbreak increased the hardships and worsened the economic situation for millions of Syrians, who have been struggling for the last 10 years due to the Syrian crisis.
The students need to leave their families for several weeks and travel to nearby cities where they stay and do their exams. The journey requires crossing conflict lines after extensive coordination is done in order to make sure there will be no extra burden on students at the checkpoints. This year the trip is even harder as they need to take into consideration the protective measures against COVID-19 throughout the whole journey and comply with the necessary measures they are asked to have in place.
“Now the situation is getting harder. The quarantine will be in a school, neither in a hotel nor in a house, and the scene of the surrounding destroyed houses around is not a fake dramatic effect, it’s a reality”, Jamila continued telling UNFPA coordinator her story.
In response to this very challenging situation, UNFPA is supporting students who are coming from surrounding hard-to-reach areas to Aleppo schools by providing them with the basic needs such as hygiene kits while staying in a temporary residence.
“At such a time, while we must prepare for the exam, we cannot go out to buy our most basic needs. I am grateful to receive the hygiene kits”, Jamila said.
UNFPA mobile teams in Aleppo are currently providing basic hygiene items such as: cleaning materials, underwear, towels, and solar chargers, as well as sanitary and personal care kits for 1,000 students coming from rural Aleppo.
"It was a huge burden, I would not be able to get those basic items since I am not allowed to go out”, Jamila expressed her deep appreciation in receiving the hygiene items.
UNFPA and partners are on the frontlines, working to protect and improve the lives of Syrian women, adolescents and young people, helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 and giving young people a chance for a more hopeful future.
