UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell has warned that 6.9 million Syrian children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, as the UN agency works alongside the Syrian government and local partners to rebuild child-support systems and restore essential services across the country.
Russell made the statement during an exclusive interview with SANA while on an official field visit to Syria. She said her mission focused on reviewing UNICEF operations, strengthening technical partnerships and expanding institutional capacity to address the growing needs of children.
She highlighted ongoing UNICEF programmes across Syria, including school rehabilitation, routine childhood immunization campaigns and nutritional support for vulnerable families. She also pointed to UNICEF’s technical support for reactivating the Jobar water pumping station in Damascus, which restored access to safe drinking water for more than one million residents in the capital and surrounding countryside.
Access to quality education, primary healthcare, clean water and adequate sanitation, Russell said, remains fundamental to children’s well-being, development and long-term economic prospects.
On the question of displaced families, Russell said every refugee or displaced person she met expressed a strong desire to return home. She described facilitating voluntary returns to Syria as critical, while noting that supporting state institutions in helping returnees.