South Korea provides $7.95 million to support children in Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The Republic of Korea contributed $7.95 million to support lifesaving and resilience-building programs for children and vulnerable families in Syria, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Friday.
The funding is part of the second phase of the global Resilience for Children partnership and comes under South Korea’s $40 million humanitarian initiative with UNICEF, which supports children affected by crises in five countries, including Syria.
According to UNICEF, the contribution will help improve health, nutrition, and education outcomes for at least 400,000 vulnerable children and women in hard-to-reach areas and communities hosting returning families across Syria.
The agency said the partnership will expand access to primary healthcare, nutrition services, safe drinking water, education, and child protection while strengthening local systems and improving communities’ resilience to future crises.
“This generous contribution from the Republic of Korea comes at a critical time for children in Syria,” said Meritxell Relaño Arana, UNICEF Representative to Syria.
“As families continue to face immense challenges, this support will help UNICEF and its partners sustain essential services and strengthen systems that children rely on to survive, learn and thrive,” she added.
Kyoo-ho Lee, Director-General of the Development Cooperation Bureau at South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Seoul remains committed to supporting vulnerable children and families affected by conflict.
“The Republic of Korea is proud to continue its partnership with UNICEF in support of vulnerable children and families affected by crisis. We remain committed to helping strengthen essential services and building resilience for children and communities in Syria,” Lee said.
UNICEF said South Korea has been a longstanding humanitarian partner, with the latest contribution aimed at addressing urgent humanitarian needs while supporting longer-term recovery and resilience.
More than a decade of conflict has left millions of children in Syria in need of humanitarian assistance. According to UNICEF, prolonged displacement, economic hardship, damaged infrastructure, and limited access to healthcare, education, clean water, and nutrition continue to expose children to disease, malnutrition, violence, and interrupted learning.
Despite increasing returns to some areas of the country, humanitarian agencies warn that many communities continue to face severe shortages of basic services, underscoring the need for sustained international support to protect children and help families rebuild their lives.