After regaining access to Madaya, UNICEF, as part of a UN, ICRC and Syrian Arab Red Crescent convoy delivered micronutrients, high energy biscuits, therapeutic food and medication for the treatment of severe and acute malnutrition.
Control of water resources
Unsafe drinking water and poor hygiene practices are multiplying the risks of infections and illness among children. More than two-thirds of children – 70 per cent – in Syria are without safe and reliable water.
In some cases, parties to the conflict have cut water deliberately, using it as a tactic of war and depriving millions of civilians of clean water for drinking and domestic use. In early 2016, UNICEF reported that water in Aleppo was cut for 48 days.
Tactics include shutting water off at the source, airstrikes and ground attacks on water facilities and hindering access for civilian workers to maintain, repair and operate facilities.
UNICEF leads the provision of water and sanitation services to the population of Syria. UNICEF’s programming delivers water and sanitation services for Syrian people in all governorates of the country, focusing on three types of services:
- emergency delivery such as water trucking and sanitation kits assist 2.4 million people;
- rehabilitation of infrastructure systems, including systems damaged by military attacks, provides water to 7.8 million people;
- provision of water disinfectant for pumping stations supports clean water delivery to 12 million Syrians across all governorates.