A person in charge of UNICEF = United Nations Children's Fund stationed in Syria, which has been severely damaged by the earthquake, said that in the affected area, there was a shortage of fuel and medical supplies due to the civil war, and some schools were rebuilding. It has been greatly damaged by the earthquake, and there are concerns about the long-term impact on children's education.
Michiru Mita, a UNICEF Syria office stationed in Damascus, the capital of Syria, where the civil war has continued for more than 10 years, responded to an online interview with NHK on the 12th.
Immediately after the earthquake, UNICEF's Syrian office dispatched water trucks to the affected areas in the north, mainly in areas under the control of the Assad regime, and also dispatched personnel to provide emotional care for children. We are doing support activities.
Since before the earthquake, there had been a shortage of supplies such as fuel, medical supplies, and blankets due to the effects of civil war and economic sanctions. I was talking.
Schools, which had been gradually reconstructed, also suffered major damage, including collapse. Schools that escaped damage are being used as evacuation shelters. UNICEF is distributing self-study kits to children. It means that we are starting to support such as.
Mita said, "A lot of children and victims of the disaster can receive necessary support wherever they are in Syria, and we will put aside political positions and help the people of Syria, including the international community, so that as many people as possible can be saved. We should support them," he said.
On top of that, he said, ``Even if the school reopens, it is possible that there will be cases where people will be unable to attend school due to financial difficulties, or they will marry young children,'' and worried about the long-term impact on children's education. He pointed out that it would be possible to do so, and emphasized the need for long-term support.