Syrie : 14 ans de guerre et des millions de vies brisées

Le conflit syrien dure aujourd’hui depuis 14 ans.

14 années d’une guerre qui a détruit le pays, traumatisé et appauvri sa population qui n’a connu que violences, tyrannies et destructions. On estime aujourd’hui à plus de 17 millions le nombre de personnes qui dépendent de l’aide humanitaire.

Le 27 novembre 2024 et dans les jours qui ont suivi, l’offensive des rebelles du groupe Hay’at Tahrir el-Sham dit « HTS », ville après ville, parvient à faire chuter le régime. Partant d’Idlib, ils prennent successivement Alep, Hama, Homs et atteignent Damas en une semaine pour y prendre le pouvoir, mettant fin à 60 ans d’un règne sans partage de la famille Assad.

Aujourd’hui, il est difficile de dire comment va évoluer la situation sur le plan politique. Le pays continue de faire face à une grande instabilité.

Une génération d’enfants pris au piège

Pour des milliers de familles à travers le pays, la vie est de plus en plus difficile. Si la chute du régime Assad a laissé place à des scènes de liesse partout, relever les défis du quotidien est chaque jour une épreuve, particulièrement pour les enfants qui sont toujours parmi les plus vulnérables.

Près de 40 % des hôpitaux et centres de santé sont hors service. De nombreuses écoles ont dû fermer leurs portes et plusieurs autres ont été transformées en refuges. Au cours des dernières semaines par exemple, plus de 12 000 établissements scolaires étaient concernés. Selon les estimations :

Le constat est sans appel, les enfants sont les premières victimes de cette situation. Déplacés dans d’autres régions du pays ou réfugiés dans les pays voisins, ils vivent pour la plupart dans des conditions déplorables : abris précaires, difficultés d’accès aux services de base et abus en tout genre.

Zoom A girl among the newly arrived family at a reception centre in Ar-Raqqa city, Syria, on 4 December 2024, who fled the escalating violence in Aleppo After almost 14 years since the onset of the crisis, children and their families are still struggling to cope. Children face continued violence, multiple displacements and the impact of unprecedented economic crisis. Since 27 November, the escalation in hostilities in northern and northwestern Syria, particularly in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama, has further aggravated the situation with more than 50,000 people displaced, mainly women and children (Source: OCHA, 2024 – IDP task force). As of 2 December 2024, approximately 25,000 individuals (5,000 families) have been displaced from Aleppo governorate to Northeast Syria (NES), primarily in Ar-Raqqa and Tabqa cities. The displacement is expected to continue in the coming days. Schools in Ar-Raqqa and Tabqa cities have been designated as collective shelters, and sports centres serve as initial reception centres. Immediate needs for food, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and heating are rising due to the increasing number of arrivals, and there is a significant shortage of adequate shelter. In response as of 4 December, and through its partners, UNICEF delivered a comprehensive package of services, including psychosocial and parenting sessions to help families and children to cope with this difficult situation. To safeguard the nutritional and health status of IDPS, UNICEF distributed preventive nutrition supplements to over 300 children and provided medical consultations and medications to more than 500 children. Also, 40 women, both pregnant and lactating, have received essential micronutrient support. Despite these efforts, the capacity of the reception centres is limited, and additional resources, including tents, water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, food, and non-food items (NFIs) are urgently needed. Immediate intervention is required to meet the m

Zoom Des enfants ayant fui l’escalade de la violence à Alep se trouvent dans un centre d’accueil de la ville d’Ar-Raqqa, en Syrie, le 4 décembre 2024. ©UNICEF/UNI701421/Aldhaher

Zoom Children among the newly arrived families at a reception centre in Ar-Raqqa city, Syria, on 4 December 2024, who fled the escalating violence in Aleppo After almost 14 years since the onset of the crisis, children and their families are still struggling to cope. Children face continued violence, multiple displacements and the impact of unprecedented economic crisis. Since 27 November, the escalation in hostilities in northern and northwestern Syria, particularly in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama, has further aggravated the situation with more than 50,000 people displaced, mainly women and children (Source: OCHA, 2024 – IDP task force). As of 2 December 2024, approximately 25,000 individuals (5,000 families) have been displaced from Aleppo governorate to Northeast Syria (NES), primarily in Ar-Raqqa and Tabqa cities. The displacement is expected to continue in the coming days. Schools in Ar-Raqqa and Tabqa cities have been designated as collective shelters, and sports centres serve as initial reception centres. Immediate needs for food, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and heating are rising due to the increasing number of arrivals, and there is a significant shortage of adequate shelter. In response as of 4 December, and through its partners, UNICEF delivered a comprehensive package of services, including psychosocial and parenting sessions to help families and children to cope with this difficult situation. To safeguard the nutritional and health status of IDPS, UNICEF distributed preventive nutrition supplements to over 300 children and provided medical consultations and medications to more than 500 children. Also, 40 women, both pregnant and lactating, have received essential micronutrient support. Despite these efforts, the capacity of the reception centres is limited, and additional resources, including tents, water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, food, and non-food items (NFIs) are urgently needed. Immediate intervention is required to meet t

Zoom Children among the newly arrived families at a reception centre in Ar-Raqqa city, Syria, on 4 December 2024, who fled the escalating violence in Aleppo After almost 14 years since the onset of the crisis, children and their families are still struggling to cope. Children face continued violence, multiple displacements and the impact of unprecedented economic crisis. Since 27 November, the escalation in hostilities in northern and northwestern Syria, particularly in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama, has further aggravated the situation with more than 50,000 people displaced, mainly women and children (Source: OCHA, 2024 – IDP task force). As of 2 December 2024, approximately 25,000 individuals (5,000 families) have been displaced from Aleppo governorate to Northeast Syria (NES), primarily in Ar-Raqqa and Tabqa cities. The displacement is expected to continue in the coming days. Schools in Ar-Raqqa and Tabqa cities have been designated as collective shelters, and sports centres serve as initial reception centres. Immediate needs for food, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and heating are rising due to the increasing number of arrivals, and there is a significant shortage of adequate shelter. In response as of 4 December, and through its partners, UNICEF delivered a comprehensive package of services, including psychosocial and parenting sessions to help families and children to cope with this difficult situation. To safeguard the nutritional and health status of IDPS, UNICEF distributed preventive nutrition supplements to over 300 children and provided medical consultations and medications to more than 500 children. Also, 40 women, both pregnant and lactating, have received essential micronutrient support. Despite these efforts, the capacity of the reception centres is limited, and additional resources, including tents, water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, food, and non-food items (NFIs) are urgently needed. Immediate intervention is required to meet t

Sur place, une autre menace plane sur la vie des enfants : celle des munitions non explosées qu’ils confondent trop souvent avec des jouets ; c’est ainsi que 1 260 d’entre eux sont décédés de cette tragique confusion. Le risque est d’autant plus important que certaines familles retournent dans leurs villages et quartiers, toujours contaminés.

Nos actions sur le terrain

Présentes en Syrie depuis 1970, les équipes de l’UNICEF sont mobilisées au quotidien pour rassurer, protéger, soigner et soutenir les populations les plus vulnérables.

En dépit des risques, l’UNICEF reste déterminé à maintenir ses activités en faveur des enfants. En réponse aux derniers événements, nous avons, entre autres, déployé 185 équipes médicales mobiles, et assuré l’accès à l’eau potable pour plus de 3 millions de personnes. Nos équipes ont également apporté un soutien psychosocial et des services de protection à des milliers de personnes déplacées.

En 2024 nos actions ont permis à plus de 4,6 millions de personnes, dont 2,7 millions d’enfants, de bénéficier des services essentiels en matière d’éducation, de nutrition, de santé, de protection de l’enfance, d’accès à l’eau.

L’appel de l’UNICEF

Pour continuer à relever les défis majeurs, l’UNICEF appelle les parties au conflit et la communauté internationale à prendre des mesures essentielles pour :

Pour aller plus loin

Aides humanitaires au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord

Syrie : les enfants méritent une paix durable

Séisme Turquie/Syrie : le bilan un an après la catastrophe