Deadline: 02-Sep-2025
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has launched a critical call for expressions of interest to expand and strengthen health and nutrition services for returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities across Syria.
This national initiative spans numerous governorates and is focused on improving access to essential, lifesaving care for women and children, reinforcing health systems, and ensuring sustainable support for vulnerable populations in crisis-affected areas.
The program places a strong emphasis on maternal and child health, adolescent wellbeing, emergency medical support, and nutrition services. Core interventions aim to deliver free consultations, provide essential medications, verify vaccination status, and ensure referrals for complex health conditions. Community health engagement is central, with training offered to health workers, caregivers, and volunteers to promote infant and young child feeding practices and early detection of malnutrition using family-based approaches.
Efforts will also target prevention and treatment of severe wasting, the distribution of specialized nutrition supplements, anemia prevention in pregnant and lactating women, and deworming for children. The integration of early childhood development is key, ensuring developmental delays are tracked, referrals are made, and appropriate care is provided to support long-term outcomes for children.
Behavior change initiatives will be locally driven and culturally sensitive, using campaigns and community outreach to encourage positive practices, raise awareness of immunization, and shift harmful norms. Capacity building will be delivered through structured training and supervision aligned with national health protocols and UNICEF-endorsed materials.
Services are expected to be delivered through a mix of fixed clinics, mobile teams, and outreach volunteers. Cross-cutting priorities include the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and ensuring accessibility for children with disabilities, including linkages to specialized care and the provision of assistive devices. The program’s impact will be monitored through clear indicators such as the number of health workers trained, consultations delivered, rehabilitated facilities, and outreach activities conducted.
Applicants must demonstrate experience delivering health and nutrition services in Syria, using UNICEF-approved protocols and national guidelines. Proposals should outline target locations, supply needs, and coordination mechanisms with relevant health directorates. Submissions will be evaluated based on the clarity of activities, expected results, and alignment with UNICEF’s sectoral strategies. Organizations with proven capacity and a record of collaboration with UNICEF or other UN agencies are particularly encouraged to apply.
This opportunity represents a significant investment in community-centered care, and UNICEF invites capable partners to step forward in support of Syria’s most vulnerable populations.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.
