Save Syria's Children

Childhood should be a time defined by words like: playground, family, school and innocence.

However, more children around the world than ever before – at least 357 million children – are living, some just barely, in areas affected by conflict. Child refugees live in constant fear, uncertainly and instability.

The conflicts taking place in countries like Syria, South Sudan, Uganda, and Bangladesh have turned over 10 million children’s homes into darkened memories. Violence has become a way of life for them, while persecution makes these children especially vulnerable. Recent attacks in Syria have forced many families to flee, leaving even more children with no place to call home.

Conflict is redefining childhood. Read the report by Save the children, The War on Children, now.

Thanks to compassionate people like you, Save the Children is there, on the ground every day, working to provide essentials – like food and safety – to children trying to survive these extreme conditions.

Help us do whatever it takes to end the war on childhood. We’re working nonstop to ensure children are safe, cared for and learning. Learn more and support our work here.

This is Save the Children's final report for this microproject. Our work continues for the children of Syria and we invite you to support our latest project in the region. Please take a moment to read a mother's story in her own words. Siwar* lives at Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan, where her five children can take advantage of our programs. Here is her story in her own words.

I have been in Za’atari for a year and a half with my husband and our five children. The youngest is 8 months old and was born in the camp. We left Syria because our village was under heavy shelling.

Before the war, we lived a normal life in Syria. My kids used to play with friends and work with their uncle. They want to go back to their country where they grew up.

We miss our family, relatives and neighbors. I miss the village that I lived in all my life. I feel very lonely. The main problem is lack of medical services.

During my last pregnancy, I was in a lot of pain. I was alone when I gave birth to my daughter in the camp. In Syria, my relatives were there to support me during my past pregnancies. It’s been so hard to raise my youngest without them, and it has been difficult for us all living in a small trailer.

I worry about my children becoming sick. Two of them have already suffered from the flu. They are homesick and miss their cousins and grandparents—they too are lonely and isolated here.

We thought the conflict would end within one or two months. We didn’t expect all the killings and bloodshed, and we certainly didn’t expect to end up in Za’atari.

Today, over 5 million Syrian children need help. Save the Children is on the ground helping to keep children safe and providing the basics they need, like food and health care and offering programs to help them cope with tragedy. Please kindly donate to our Syrian Children’s Relief Fund.

* Names changed to protect the family's identity