UNICEF correspondent Chris Niles reports on UNICEF's response to the worsening situation in the Syrian Arab Republic. Statement by Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Director of Emergencies, at the launch of new UN appeals for Syria GENEVA, 7 June 2013 – “The Syria conflict is one of the gravest crises facing children anywhere in the world today. Four million children’s lives have been devastated and an entire generation is at risk. “Despite challenges encountered, UNICEF and partners have … [Read more...]
Born into crisis: Unwanted pregnancies in Syria
May 31, 2013 by
ZA’ATARI CAMP, JORDAN, 29 May 2013 (IRIN) - When aid workers with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) speak to women inside Syria - many of them displaced from their homes and living in cramped collective shelters - they say they would rather do anything than get pregnant. “No one wants to be pregnant in the shelters… that’s universal wherever we go,” said Laila Baker, UNFPA representative in Syria. “There is no place to take care of the baby and it’s another mouth to feed.” In … [Read more...]
Syrian Women Giving Birth in Exile
May 11, 2013 by
ZA'ATARI, Jordan — In a tent hospital bed, a Syrian woman who was four months pregnant when she fled her country's civil war cradles one of the newest residents of this dust-swept refugee camp: Her newborn son, just delivered by Caesarean. Around a dozen babies are born every day in Za'atari camp, which is home to 120,000 Syrians and counting – and there's only one, overworked Moroccan doctor performing C-sections. Still, the clinic where he operates and several other field hospitals here … [Read more...]
Women Taking Action: NGOWG MAP – May 2013
May 3, 2013 by
NGOWG MAP - May 2013: BiH, Central African Republic, Central African region, DRC, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Yemen; Counter terrorism, WPS The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security has released the May 2013 version of our Monthly Action Points (MAP) on Women, Peace and Security for the UN Security Council. For May, in which Togo has the Security Council presidency, the MAP provides recommendations on the situations in Bosnia and … [Read more...]
Turkish programme to register Syrian refugees
April 12, 2013 by
12 April 2013 – The United Nations refugee agency today welcomed a new Turkish law on foreigners as an important advancement for international protection and pledged continued backing to the authorities as they implement it. The law incorporates key elements of international humanitarian and human rights law, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Spokesperson Melissa Fleming told a news briefing in Geneva, stressing that High Commissioner António Guterres welcomes it as a reflection of … [Read more...]
SYRIA, displacement giving way for serious gender-based crimes
February 27, 2013 by
February 2013 – A senior official with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today warned of the enormous humanitarian impact of the ongoing Syria crisis, particularly on civilians who have been displaced and face threats such as Gender-based Violence. “This displacement is not only about loss of homes and economic security. It is also, for many, accompanied by gender-based crimes, deliberate victimization of women and children and a frightening array of assaults on … [Read more...]
Foods to Try, 25 edible wonders not to miss!
February 25, 2013 by
Whether you exist on a diet of classic comfort food or are a naturally adventurous eater. There are certain foods that you should make a point of trying at least once in your lifetime! These are twenty-five of those edible wonders, from simple pleasures to experiences with eating dangerously; with fabulous recipes linked in for your at-home pleasure! Venison – A staple in the diets of some hunters and many Europeans, non-hunting Americans may not be familiar with the high-moisture, … [Read more...]
Syria: “We Want Our Lives Back. We Want To Go Home”
February 8, 2013 by
During her recent trip to Syria, WFP Senior Spokesperson Abeer Etefa met Souad, a 27-year-old mother whose family lost their home to the fighting. Eking out an existence in an empty building near the battles lines, she and her family are surviving on food provided to them by WFP. “Please look at me closely, look at my face. Do I look like a 27 year old?” she asks me. She is waiting for an answer from me. She certainly doesn’t look like she is 27. “When I happen to come across a mirror … [Read more...]
SYRIA – Fleeing for their lives, “My daughter is 2 months old,” one woman said.
January 30, 2013 by
Syrians flee violence in dangerous nighttime trek to Jordan (CNN) -- With darkness as their only cover, Syrian families make a break for northern Jordan. They are fleeing for their lives. Small children walk alongside their mothers, whose arms are reserved for babies and whatever possessions they can carry. In a treacherous nighttime escape such as this one, you walk if you're old enough. As the group makes its way over the border, just a few meters away from its … [Read more...]
UNRWA, Syria midwife delivers baby in harsh conditions
January 19, 2013 by
Damascus The vibrant cry of a baby burst out from a small room in the Khan Eshieh refugee camp in southern Damascus. Forced to find refuge in a shelter housing another 15 people, Mayada Yahya gave birth in a small room with no privacy. The room has provided shelter to Mayada and her husband ever since they fled the fighting in Daraya, near Damascus, a few months ago. Little did she know that she would be delivering their child in this same room months later. Makeshift … [Read more...]
The Internet Gender Gap | Magdy Martinez Soliman
January 15, 2013 by
How can the use of mobile technologies best benefit Women? The role of ICTs as development enablers is more widely understood today as access to new technologies, particularly mobile phones, has grown exponentially. SPECIAL COMPUTER TRAINING COURSE DESIGNED FOR DEAF PEOPLE IN DAMASCUS, SYRIA. PHOTO: UNDP IN SYRIA Mobile phone subscriptions exceeded six billion by the end of 2012, three-quarters of which were in the developing world. However, Women are at a disadvantage: they are 21% less … [Read more...]
Syrian Women Cope, ZA’ATARI REFUGEE CAMP
November 14, 2012 by
ZA’ATARI REFUGEE CAMP, Mafreq, Jordan — Syrian women residing in the are trying to cope with life in the fenced area that hosts some 40,000 refugees, by engaging in several activities organized by UNFPA. For Fathieh, participating in these activities helps kill time. “Currently, I train women on weaving and embroidery skills, and I learn other handicrafts,” said the mother of ten. Fathieh noted that she attended workshops about family planning organized by the UNFPA and the Noor Al … [Read more...]
