Helping children in Syria heal and feel heard

For more than a decade, all that children in Syria knew were the sounds of bombings, displacement, loss, financial restraints, and ongoing crisis, leading to severe trauma and psychological needs. Amid these harsh realities, MERATH[1] has been supporting three child-friendly spaces (CFS) in Syria, helping thousands of children and youth over the years to process their emotions and begin their healing journey. Today, Syria has entered a new phase, but many children and youth continue to face challenges, and the CFS mission remains even more needed, as they continue to train a new generation that can build a different future for Syria. 

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A generation growing up in crisis 

Children in Syria today carry layers of trauma accumulated over the years, with many having lived through danger and witnessed the death of loved ones. 

“The children have lived through the war, displacement, the earthquake, COVID-19, and repeated crises,” explained Caroline, coordinator at a MERATH-supported child-friendly space in Damascus. “Some children saw shells falling in front of them, some saw their friends die in front of them. Whenever we feel a child has finally become psychologically stable, another crisis comes.” 

Others face violence at home, neglect, poverty, or the absence of parents due to death, migration, or displacement. And despite the change of regime, the needs continue to grow. 

According to UNICEF Syria, approximately 7.5 million children in Syria currently require humanitarian assistance. More than 2.4 million children remain out of school, increasing their exposure to child labor, early marriage, exploitation, and violence. 

“The number of people who are requesting to register their children is much higher than last year,” Caroline explained. “Families are asking us constantly to open registration because they want their children to be with us.” 

Safe and healing spaces  

Amid these harsh realities, 610 children (including 55 with disabilities) and 280 youth attend three MERATH-supported child friendly spaces across Syria, which offer them a place where they can play and build friendships while experiencing a sense of safety, care, and belonging. 

The centers provide psychosocial support, child protection activities, educational and fun programs, shared meals, caregiver support sessions, and in one location specialized interventions for children with special needs. 

Such activities help the children process emotions, overcome traumas, build communication skills, learn how to listen to each other, cooperate, and regain self-confidence. Storytelling, dialogue, art, games, and group interaction are all intentionally designed to support psychological recovery. 

The centers also work extensively with caregivers through parenting workshops and awareness sessions on child development, emotional support, and protection. Staff members undergo regular training in child protection, first aid, and psychological first aid to ensure children receive trauma-informed care. 

Crucially, the centers’ approach continuously evolves based on emerging needs. This flexibility allows the center to respond to war-related trauma, the long-term emotional impact of displacement, instability, poverty, and other reoccurring emergencies. 

When healing starts with being heard

At a MERATH-supported child-friendly space in Homs, Ibrahim* sat feeling excluded and shy. He couldn’t communicate like other children nor understand what was going on around him. He used to observe children playing, interacting with each other, learning, and having fun while he withdrew silently. 

Ibrahim was suffering from severe hearing loss due to oxygen deprivation at birth. Although he had received a cochlear implant, Ibrahim still could not hear. In 2024, he joined the child-friendly space and started receiving therapy sessions. But all attempts to help him speak failed, as he remained unable to hear sounds. 

Refusing to let communication barriers define Ibrahim’s future, Dounia, a therapist at the center, took the initiative to learn sign language herself so she could begin teaching him and communicating with him.  “This was something new at the center, as this service had not been provided before,” she said.   

Using videos, printed materials, and interactive activities with other children, Dounia began teaching Ibrahim the alphabet in sign language. Slowly, he learned how to form words, introduce himself, and communicate the names of his family members. But the work did not stop with Ibrahim alone. 

Ibrahim’s mother became an essential part of the learning journey. She attended sessions with him, learning sign language herself so she could continue practicing at home and teach Ibrahim’s siblings and father how to communicate with him. Together, the center and the family provided Ibrahim with daily routines that became opportunities for learning and connection. 

Ibrahim learned how to name daily objects, food, colors, shapes, and numbers. He also learned how to express his emotions and needs, and most importantly, how to make himself understood. 

Over time, Ibrahim’s progress became visible. The center integrated Ibrahim into classroom activities with other children a couple of times a week, providing him with the opportunity to participate in group activities and discussions.  

The future of Syria depends on its children 

Despite everything children in Syria have endured, and the recent political changes, the staff at the child friendly spaces continue to believe in their mission. 

“Syria’s future depends on its children and young people,” Lyne, monitoring and evaluation officer, said. “If they come out of these years with fewer losses, Syria itself will benefit. Working with them is the only winning strategy.” 

The goal is not simply to help children survive crisis, but to help them become emotionally healthy, peaceful, and able to solve problems through dialogue and compassion. With such young people, we can build a different future for Syria.  

For Ibrahim, that future began when someone chose not to give up on him and surrender to limited resources, but to go the extra mile, believing that every child deserves the opportunity to be heard, understood, and included. 

[1] In collaboration with the Fellowship of Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC)