UNICEF Chief Says 6.9 Million Syrian Children Need Urgent Humanitarian Assistance, Cites Water and Education Gaps

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said on September 30, 2026, that 6.9 million Syrian children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, during an interview with Syrian state news agency SANA during her official visit to Syria. Russell said UNICEF is partnering with the Syrian government and local stakeholders to rebuild child support systems and restore services nationwide, including school rehabilitation, routine childhood immunization campaigns and nutritional support for vulnerable families. She cited UNICEF's contribution to reactivating the Jobar water pumping station in Damascus, which has restored safe drinking water access to more than one million residents across the capital and its countryside. Russell highlighted access to quality education, primary healthcare, clean water, adequate sanitation and formal schooling as foundational to child development and long-term economic prospects. She noted that every refugee or displaced person she met expressed a desire to return home, describing facilitating voluntary return of families to Syria as critical, while acknowledging that a key challenge is supporting state institutions in helping returnees, particularly children, reintegrate into normal life.

The 6.9 million children requiring assistance are part of 15.6 million people nationwide who need humanitarian aid, reflecting damage from more than thirteen years of civil war and the challenge of rebuilding institutions capable of supporting the population.

Sources

Arab News, "UNICEF chief: 6.9 million Syrian children urgently need humanitarian assistance," October 1, 2026, arabnews.com Arab News Pakistan, "UNICEF chief: 6.9 million Syrian children urgently need humanitarian assistance," October 1, 2026, arabnews.pk SANA, "6.9 million Syrian children need humanitarian aid, UNICEF chief tells SANA," September 30, 2026, sana.sy