Interim Minister of Education Imad Barq appeals to the UNICEF and OCHA and UNESCO to immediately support the education sector and save the children of Syria from loss, crime and terrorism before it is too late. He calls on the UN Security Council to enforce a no-fly zone over Syrian to protect educational institutions from Assad’s air force.
“Supporting education and saving the children in Syria is a purely humanitarian issue and has nothing to do with all the political fluctuations. No-one has to make excuses for failing to extend a helping hand” Barq said.
He noted that support does not reach the liberated areas where 1.5 million live, pointing out that the Interim Ministry of Education has managed to keep education going despite the lack of sufficient support. He also said that the Ministry is going through very difficult conditions though it is the sole guarantor for education in Syria.
“We have repeatedly called on the international community to protect Syrian children and referred to the relevant UN reports, especially the 9th report of the International Independent Investigation Commission on Syrian of February 2015 which confirms the regime’s targeting of schoolboys.”
He also said that over 4,000 schools are wholly or partially damaged while over 500 schools have become shelters. Two and a half million children are now threatened with ignorance and illiteracy in the liberated areas, while 8,000 children are at the danger of loss in hosting countries.
Barq pointed out that the Ministry has worked hard to alleviate the tragedy of Syrian children and carried out projects to print textbooks, oversaw examinations, rewarded teachers and has recently begun implementing the intermediate institutes project in Syria.
He also said that the continuation of education in Syria requires substantial funding, praising the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar in the financing of several projects. “However, many projects stopped because of the scarcity of funding, so we have prepared a list of the needs that our friendly countries already have an idea about.”
“Protection of children in the liberated areas and keep them in school is the duty of international organizations and the international community, and hopefully this humanitarian appeal will touch the conscience of the Friends of the Syrian people. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
