SYRIA – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has received US$5.1 million in funding from the Government of Japan to scale up delivery of quality healthcare in the Syrian Arab Republic.
UNICEF will use Japan’s contribution to enhance access to education, basic healthcare, and skill-building services for vulnerable children and their families in the cities of Homs and Hama, Syria.
“600,000 children, adolescents, and women in Homs and Hama to benefit from increased provision of education, basic healthcare, and skill-building services,” the specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) announced in a statement.
The partnership with Japan will help in restoring health centres, equipping facilities with essential medical kits and supplies, and training healthcare workers and volunteers to bolster access to primary healthcare on community level.
Furthermore, it will support the transformation of healthcare delivery at a time when the primary health care system in Syria remains largely non-functional.
The collaboration will also support rehabilitating schools and providing textbooks to enhance children’s opportunities to learn amid the continuous challenges of the impact of the war, the deepening economic crunch and increasing poverty.
“Many schools have been destroyed and damaged because of the conflict and are no longer in use. Low numbers of rehabilitated schools further hamper children’s access to learning,” UNICEF explained.
In a release, the UN agency said the agreement will assist in rehabilitating youth friendly spaces together with providing skill-building services and opportunities.
The partnership with Japan will also aid in strengthening social, civic, and digital engagement to foster social cohesion and empower and equip young people to build better futures.
“The Government of Japan is UNICEF’s longstanding and valued partner. Since 2017, it has provided UNICEF’s interventions with more than US$81 million to support vulnerable children and families in Syria,” UNICEF stated.
UNICEF Syria Representative Ghada Kachachi lauded the Government of Japan for its invaluable support as it demonstrates its unwavering dedication to invest in the wellbeing and futures of the most vulnerable children, adolescents, and women in the Western Asian country
She further underscored that Japan’s contribution will help UNICEF to improve access to basic social services and bolster the communities’ resilience in the cities of Homs and Hama amid ongoing conflict.
Hirofumi Miyake, Charge d’Affaires of Japan in Syria, expressed his readiness to build on the long-standing partnership with UNICEF focused on the health and well-being of Syrian children at risk.
“I would like to reiterate the Government of Japan’s strong commitment to address challenges vulnerable children in Syria face, bolster opportunities to access critical social services and give more girls and boys a fair chance in life,” he reaffirmed the government’s support for Syria.
For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook.
