Children caught in crises: UNICEF’s role in humanitarian emergencies- Part II

Season 1, episode 9

Children caught in crises: UNICEF’s role in humanitarian emergencies- Part II

Discover how UNICEF responds to prolonged humanitarian crises and the reality children face growing up in refugee camps.

Producer: Priyadarshini Mitra

Sound Mix: Chandra Bulucon

Episode Transcript: 

[00:00:00.00] [MUSIC PLAYING]

[00:00:08.22] I speak as someone whose life was turned upside down when my family had to leave Syria. I was desperate to resume my education I was so grateful for the stability provided to me by UNICEF and the agency's support in the camps in Jordan. My education saved my life. My education saved my mind. I have been fortunate.

[00:00:41.51] That was UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Muzoon Almellehan, speaking at the launch event for UNICEF's annual Humanitarian Action for Children Report. In 2020, UNICEF estimates that 59 million children in 64 different countries in crisis will require humanitarian assistance. That's the largest number of children in need since we began keeping record.

[00:01:07.10] And UNICEF is appealing for $4.2 billion American dollars, the biggest ever. It's 3 and 1/2 times the amount we requested a decade ago. This huge jump shows just how dangerous the world has become for those most vulnerable, our children. I'm David Morley, the president and CEO of UNICEF Canada and the host of our For Every Child podcast.

[00:01:44.27] Here's another shocking number to think about as we speak, one in every four children live in a country affected by armed conflict or natural disasters. These numbers alone should move people to donate, should stir them to take action, but at times, people can't imagine what their support could look like.

[00:02:06.99] It looks like baby Merlene and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her mother died from ebola, but Marlene is being cared for by ebola survivors working in a UNICEF nursery. Then there's little Husaini in Burkina Faso. His school was attacked. His classroom was burned down, and his teachers were killed. But today, thanks to our generous donors, he can continue learning through a UNICEF-supported program that uses radio to broadcast lessons and life-saving messages for children until they can go back to school. There are hundreds of thousands of other such stories, stories of children affected by sudden disasters or caught in the middle of war.

[00:02:52.28] In our last episode, we spoke about how UNICEF swiftly responds to emergencies that strike without warning. Today, we are going to talk about how UNICEF responds to humanitarian crises that lasts for months or even years. To help us understand these protracted emergencies, let's speak with Juliette Touma. She's the chief of communications for us in the Middle East and North Africa region. Juliette, what exactly are protracted emergencies?

[00:03:24.87] I'd say this is an excellent question because this is exactly what we have in this region. So we have a number of what we call long-term crises. For example, Syria has been going on for nearly nine years. We have Yemen, nearly five years. We have the situation in Sudan for many decades. Iraq, same story. The state of Palestine. So it is, I would say, the region where you have the highest number of long-term crises.

[00:03:55.74] And the impact on children is huge and quite stark, in fact. What it means, practically speaking for us as UNICEF, is that when it comes to our operations and programs on the ground is that they are some of the biggest in the world for UNICEF serving children in this region, whether to help them on a day-by-day basis to meet their humanitarian needs or vaccines, shelter, water, nutrition, but also the more longer term type of needs, including education, psychosocial assistance, and mental health.

[00:04:32.11] What does UNICEF's work there exactly look like on the ground?

[00:04:36.30] The Syria operation is one of the biggest humanitarian operations in the world for UNICEF right now, the Syria crisis, the regional crisis. And so for someone who's been working on this particular crisis for years on end, I can say that our work took a turn. So while, in the beginning, we were focusing pretty much on life-saving assistance to children, so vaccinating children who were displaced, giving nutrition supplies, giving medical consultations, giving blankets, winter clothes, and all those really life-saving assistance.

[00:05:15.57] Over the past years, we continue to do that but to a much lesser degree, and we focus more on systems building, on helping children get education and helping children get water through, for example, working on the public network system of waters. But also, we have an ongoing, active armed conflict on the ground. So we have access restrictions on our staff. We also have bureaucratic hurdles to where our staff can go and access and deliver assistance.

[00:05:46.33] So it's a very, very complex humanitarian operation. In Yemen, almost every single child in the country is in need of humanitarian assistance, and there, the focus has been on malnutrition, because there's around 400,000 kids who are severely malnourished, who struggle for their lives every single day. So we focused a lot on that.

[00:06:10.42] But on the other hand, we have embarked on what is right now one of our largest cash assistance programs in the world for UNICEF, in the sense that we are reaching nine million people with cash stipends to help families make ends meet.

[00:06:29.55] That's interesting. Over time, these complex projects in the region definitely seem to have evolved. UNICEF has just launched its largest ever global appeal for funds. We often hear people say that they've been donating money to some of these crises for many years now. So why does UNICEF still need the support?

[00:06:51.87] In the absence and in the failure of reaching a political solution, both in the case of Syria and in Yemen, the humanitarian needs continue, and so this is something that all donors need to keep in mind. So UNICEF does everything possible on the ground in these countries to meet increasing the needs of children. And so while we appreciate so much the generosity of donors over the past years and we understand, and I think it's absolutely legitimate to question why should I give some more money to UNICEF?

[00:07:30.15] I think it's absolutely fundamental that this generosity continues. And at the same time and in parallel, there needs to be advocacy and pushing with anyone from the politicians, who can actually influence political solutions in these two countries. But until then, we have to continue to do humanitarian work and help every child in need in these countries.

[00:07:54.61] So what will happen if we stop fundraising for the region? It would be an even bigger disaster. More children will die. More children will miss out on school. More children will be sick because they didn't get the vaccines that we provide them. More children will feel disillusioned, disenfranchised. More young people will certainly feel that there is a direct link that conflicts contribute to an increase in poverty rates, and so that pushes families more to the edge. And so we might see more children recruited in the fighting.

[00:08:34.25] So it's a terrible, terrible picture if funding stops and if donors stop giving money to organizations like UNICEF. It's a human obligation to continue to deliver humanitarian assistance to people in need in these countries. But it's a Band-Aid. it's not a long-term solution. The long-term solution is peace, and peace comes, one way is through political means and political dialogue. And that's what needs to happen.

[00:09:06.66] Can you tell us a bit more about the impact on countries you work with in the Middle East and North Africa region that host refugees? Millions of children and their families have fled to neighboring countries. How does it impact them?

[00:09:20.74] Now here's the deal that these are not rich countries, and these are barely middle-income countries. Some of them are not even that. And they still were absolutely generous in opening their communities, in absorbing children in schools, in sharing whatever they have, including, for example scarce water resources in many of these countries. And the strain that this has put on the economy, on the communities has been huge, and it added to levels of unemployment, levels of poverty. And so this is something that we shouldn't take for granted. In fact, 80% of Syrian refugees are hosted in this region.

[00:10:05.56] Juliette, when you visit some of these countries, what do the children in the camps say to you? Do you remember one child's story that impacted you deeply?

[00:10:17.42] Yeah, I remember, in fact, a child that I met in Syria at the onset of the crisis, in 2013. And that made me believe that what UNICEF does should continue and should be supported. And in the sense this child was, so was forced to flee his house. He lost his father. He spoke about death, and I tried to steer away the conversation onto what you want to do?

[00:10:49.66] And despite this horrific story, he said, I want to go back to school. And that, on its own, is the story of the children of this region who have been impacted by conflict. I've never heard a kid who said anything but I want to go back to school, or I want to become a doctor. I want to become an astronaut. I want to become an engineer or a musician. And so it's those dreams and those ambitions and it's those aspirations that every single child in this region, no matter the circumstances, is just amazing. And all that a child wants is to live, to be happy, to play, to get education, and to be children. It's as simple as that.

[00:11:34.05] That Is the most beautiful thing about children. They're forever hopeful, resilient, and determined, no matter the situation they're forced to be in.

[00:11:51.73] On our very first podcast, Bayan Yammout shared her story of resilience, a child growing up in a war zone. Welcome back, Bayan As many of our listeners will remember, we began the year with your story as a child in Lebanon, during the Civil War. Your passion for education led you to become a teacher in Canada today, but you just returned from a UNICEF mission in the Zaatari refugee camp, in Jordan. Can you tell us more about that.

[00:12:25.28] Yes, I just returned from Jordan, where I spent a few weeks volunteering inside UNICEF-supported makani centers in Zaatari. Just to let the listeners understand what makani centers are, so the makani centers, they offer learning support services, early childhood development programs. They also have programs related to child protection, life skills training, and innovation training.

[00:12:51.08] They have a playground. They have arts and drama activities to children. So the benefits of makani to children, youth, and their parents is just significant. For example, the learning support programs, the kids will have, thanks to them, the kids have more success at school and remain in school. So over the three weeks I spent there, I delivered practical training sessions to facilitators as well as modeling sessions inside the classrooms of two makani centers. So I shared hands-on strategies and tools with them in the areas of classroom management, behavior management, inclusion, as well as literacy and numeracy. And all the strategies and tools that I shared with them can be applied in any setting, regardless of the curriculum language and culture.

[00:13:40.45] And I know, you're too modest to say so, but as you were leaving Jordan, we got emails here talking about what an incredible gift your participation was. We learned a lot from you. So I have to say a Thank you for that. But thinking about Zaatari, you've been to the camp before, what did you see this time that was different?

[00:14:06.88] I think I was so impressed in how the services offered by UNICEF have evolved over the past three years and become more effective and sustainable. So the first thing that was very beautiful to see was the impact of the new water and sanitation network. So UNICEF has completed the operation of the world's most innovative, and sustainable water and sanitation service in a refugee camp. And what that means is there is no more need for the waste water trucks around the camp or for the 20 trucks that used to deliver water to households every day.

[00:14:40.37] So there is also no need for the over hundreds of communal washing stations and taps tents that households used to share, because now every household, so every caravan has access to a tap inside their caravan. And they are all connected to the wastewater network. So the system, the whole system is underground, and it serves 12 districts, where more than 76,000 people currently live.

[00:15:08.66] So this is particularly important because Jordan is one of the most water scarce countries in the world. The other impressive and highly effective change is the community-based approach inside makani centers. This means that now all the facilitators who run the programs at county, as well as their site managers, they are all Syrian refugees living in Zaatari. So they work under the supervision of UNICEF, who provides the training and all the support.

[00:15:41.12] So this approach, by and for the refugees, has reduced the costs and also has improved the responsiveness to local needs and ensured the sustainability of the program. So I heard about it before, but seeing it in my own eyes, it was very different. It was just amazing to see. I think one of the facilitators, Maha, said it beautifully to me. She said parents accept much better their feedback when it comes to their children's learning, because they know how to communicate with each other.

[00:16:16.04] So the parents know that these facilitators care about their children, who are the next generation of their own community. They have the same culture, the same habits, the same dialect, and they even have the same thinking when it comes to raising children. Most importantly, they have the same struggles as refugees. At the same time, those facilitators, like Maha, Tarek, and [INAUDIBLE], they are all superheroes.

[00:16:45.94] They are victims of war. They are still dealing with stress and grief and fear and despite all those challenges they face every day, they still give 100% of their energy, love, and dedication to the children of the community by running those programs at makani. They work extremely hard, under harsh conditions, but they do that because they don't want the new generation to be missing on being children. They are committed to protecting the rights of every child who comes to their makani centers.

[00:17:22.39] These facilitators are the hope the children in Zaatari are counting on. I just have a huge respect for them. And I think we must support the work they do by providing them with training and resources.

[00:17:36.29] As well as the time you spent with these superheroes, as you call them, and rightly so, you spent a lot of time with the children as well. What did they say to you? And what's the most difficult thing for them at the camp now?

[00:17:52.45] Every morning, as I pass security and enter the double gate gates into Zaatari, I ask myself, how could any child explore the outside world when they are living inside a refugee camp? And how can the facilitators offer a rich learning experience that feeds the children's natural curiosity when they live and teach inside the refugee camp?

[00:18:19.63] You always think that, well, you have to bring the outside world inside. But for that, you need technology, books, tons of resources. David, I did not see a single book, a story, or a children's book in the hands of the children. We know that nearly 64,000 children live today in Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps. Thousands of them have never seen, have never been outside their camps.

[00:18:51.05] And if you think about it, every child, or most of the children who are seven years or younger have been born there. So this is the world for them. They have no idea what's beyond the fields that surrounds the camp. These children are growing up thinking that this is how human life looks like.

[00:19:10.57] And when my students in Canada ask me where bread comes from, for example, I would bring in books and resources. I can share pictures, videos from the internet. I can even plan a trip to the bread factory. For us teachers, the sky's the limit. But for teachers here at makani, access to resources is extremely limited and strongly depends on donors' generosity. The natural curiosity of every child at Zaatari and Azraq depends on donor support. My generosity and yours are key in giving these children an opportunity to explore the world.

[00:19:52.94] One time, UNICEF received an invitation to bring a small group of children to the city to watch a play. So despite the many challenges, the facilitators took about 200 children to the theater. And most of these children have never been out of the camp. They've never had exposure to the outside world. They saw cars, buildings, green spaces, and even traffic lights for the first time.

[00:20:20.21] I met some of these children. I met three girls, two are 14 and one is 12. And since they came to the refugee camp, they haven't been out before that trip. And I asked them what they found the most impressive. And guess what they said? They said colors. They like seeing trees, green grass.

[00:20:42.47] And then they said they like seeing buildings. And they were wondering how people would put one stone on top of another one to build a two-story building because again, the caravans are all one level. But then, I asked them, well, what else did they found interesting? They said, well, it's not interesting, but they were scared of the noise in the city. And even when they were on the bus, they were covering their ears with their hands because they were so scared of the noise outside.

[00:21:13.13] But then they told me that when they entered the theater, they saw stairs. So David, these kids, they've never seen stairs before. They didn't know what to do. They told me they were scared, and they went down on their knees, and they were climbing the stairs with their hands and feet. They were scared.

[00:21:28.91] So I really, like, I was speechless. My heart sank. I know that despite the huge efforts and dedication of so many people, we, the global community, are not doing enough. These children are soon going to be teens, and they will not forgive us if we don't connect them more to the outside world. It is our responsibility, mine and yours and all Canadians to ensure that these children have access to books and to the outside world. That is their right. I just wish I had a superpower to create a small library in every makani center with tons of picture books, fiction, non-fiction, ebooks for all levels and also to send them on regular field trips to learn about the world.

[00:22:20.99] You're leaving me speechless. How do you compare those children with any differences you find between the children that you know here in your classroom and that you've done such a wonderful job teaching here in Canada and those children that you met in the camps?

[00:22:40.20] The children are the same everywhere. The children. I worked with in Zaatari refugee camp are curious. They ask questions. They are eager to learn. They are sometimes silly, funny, goofy little troublemakers. They know how to seek your attention constantly. Some are shy. Some are just children are children.

[00:23:02.27] That's beautiful, Bayan. And it's what we have to remember. Children are all the same everywhere Thank you for your passion and commitment to remind us that they all deserve an equal chance at being a child. It's their right.

[00:23:19.31] With that, we come to the end of another episode of our podcast, and we're also approaching the end of the year. It's the holiday season, and most of us are already busy shopping. You could make this year extra special by going to unicef.ca and purchasing some survival gifts in honor of friends and loved ones.

[00:23:40.43] You can fill your shopping cart with items like education, clean water, healthy food, and warm clothes for children around the world. $10 from you can feed seven malnourished children. You could change a child's life by shopping for UNICEF survival gifts at unicef.ca. They're real gifts with real impact. From all of us at UNICEF Canada, happy holidays. Thank you for listening. We'll be back with more next year.

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