Following Earthquakes in Syria, Schools Provide ‘Lifeline’

Following Earthquakes in Syria, Schools Provide ‘Lifeline’

The earthquakes that destroyed large parts of southern Turkey and northwest Syria in February have affected¹ countless² children in both countries.

For children in Syria it was especially severe. The country has been in crisis since civil war broke out more than 11 years ago.

Aid groups like Save the Children and UNICEF are working to get food, water and shelter to children and families there. Additionally, UNICEF is trying to get Syrian children back into school and learning again. The quakes damaged at least 1,000 schools in the country. Many of the structures are unsafe to enter.

But, not all. More than 175 schools that survived the events have been turned into temporary shelters for families. UNICEF has sent play and education supplies to shelters in Aleppo, Hama and Lattakia, to reach about 50,000 children, said Eva Hinds³, the group's communication chief in Syria.

At the temporary shelters, children can play with each other and continue their schooling⁴. Others receive emotional support.

Hinds said that education and schooling is about more than just learning.

"Education is a lifeline," Hinds told VOA. "It's a way to bring stability, it's a way to bring structure ... every day to these children who have gone through something really traumatic."

Hinds said that fun activities like playing, dancing or listening to music, can be therapeutic⁵ for children, even for just a short time. It can also bring some peace to parents.

Hinds said she recently visited one shelter and it was "very delightful⁶ to see children laughing, kids who have gone through something really horrendous⁷."

The education system in Syria was considered broken even before the earthquakes. UNICEF says there are about 3.7 million children in Syria and an estimated 2.4 million of them do not attend school. There have been at least 700 attacks on schools and education centers during the war since the United Nations started recording⁸ such incidents.

Following disasters like earthquakes, children cannot wait for schools to be rebuilt to continue their education, said Laura Frigenti. She is head of the Global Partnership⁹ for Education (GPE) which provides financing and other support for education in developing countries, including Syria. Frigenti said that rebuilding schools after such a disaster can take too long and be too expensive.

Instead, she said, learning should continue for Syrian children as soon as possible. After immediate¹⁰ needs like food and shelter are met, education "is something that really helps children (to be) rooted again in a community, in a society," Frigenti said.

Beyond education, schools can provide food and emotional support.

Sabah is a 9-year-old girl who received treatment for malnutrition¹¹ at one of the UNICEF shelters. She was caught in her home with her family when the earthquake hit. She told UNICEF that she and her family had to escape in the middle of the night. They brought nothing with them.

"It was very scary, rainy, and cold," Sabah said later from the shelter. "I don't feel like eating. I don't have an appetite and I don't feel like eating food."

Ramadan Sulima is the principal of a daycare center in Jinidires, in Northwest Syria. He said the daycare opened last year to help children suffering from the war. "For over a year, our situation was good. We and the students were happy," he said.

And "when the earthquake started, I just wanted to get in touch with my students," he said as he walked outside the destroyed center. "When I hear a student died, I start crying ... like I lost a son though I didn't."

Sulima added that, "We aren't going to stop, we will persist. We will persist in building this generation, in building their future."

Words in This Story

stability — n. the quality, state, or degree of being stable, such as the strength to stand or endure; firmness

traumatic — adj. psychologically or emotionally stressful in a way that can lead to serious mental and emotional problems

therapeutic — adj. of or relating to the treatment of diseases or disorders¹² by using healing agents or methods

delightful — adj. highly pleasing

horrendous — adj. extremely bad or unpleasant

society — n. the community life thought of as a system within which the individual lives

appetite — n. a natural desire especially for food

principal — n. the person in charge of a public school

persist — v. to continue to do something in spite of opposition, warnings, or pleas

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

3 hinds   

n.（常指动物腿）后面的( hind的名词复数 )；在后的；（通常与can或could连用）唠叨不停；滔滔不绝

参考例句：

• He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. 诗18:33他使我的脚快如母鹿的蹄、使我在高处安稳。 来自互联网
• He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. 33他使我的脚快如母鹿的蹄，又使我在高处安稳。 来自互联网

4 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

5 therapeutic   

adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的

参考例句：

• Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。
• When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

6 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

7 horrendous   

adj.可怕的，令人惊惧的

参考例句：

• He described it as the most horrendous experience of his life.他形容这是自己一生中最可怕的经历。
• The mining industry in China has a horrendous safety record.中国的煤矿工业具有令人不安的安全记录。

8 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

9 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

12 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》