Deadline: 15-Oct-2025
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has launched a new initiative across 12 governorates of Syria, including Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Deir ez-Zor, and Latakia, aimed at strengthening social protection systems for vulnerable children and their caregivers.
The programme focuses on reducing financial hardship, enhancing access to essential services, and improving child well-being while helping families avoid negative coping mechanisms.
The programme’s core intervention is the provision of multi-purpose cash assistance to families living in impoverished urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, particularly those with high concentrations of displaced people, destroyed infrastructure, and limited social safety nets. Priority will be given to female-headed households with children under 17, families with children under two years old, and households with children suffering from chronic illnesses or disabilities. While cash transfers will address immediate needs, families will also be referred to complementary services, including nutrition, health care, protection, and education for out-of-school children.
A second key component of the programme ensures structured referrals to essential services, with case workers guiding families through access to health, nutrition, and education. Tailored support will be provided to children with disabilities and female-headed households, while mobile outreach services will bring assistance closer to hard-to-reach communities. Capacity-building for social workers will strengthen skills in community engagement, communication, and behaviour change, ensuring greater accountability and responsiveness.
The initiative aims to reach 5,000 families per year, with UNICEF responsible for managing cash transfers and local partners handling beneficiary registration, verification, database management, and service referrals. Partners will also support grievance mechanisms, community mobilization, and post-distribution monitoring to ensure fairness and transparency.
Monitoring and accountability are central to the programme. UNICEF will employ third-party monitors, staff visits, post-distribution surveys, and real-time data systems such as the HOPE platform to track delivery, assess impact, and incorporate beneficiary feedback. Financial service providers will undergo strict compliance checks to safeguard funds, while partner organisations will provide regular progress reports and update central monitoring systems to ensure transparency and coordination.
By combining cash assistance with integrated social services, UNICEF seeks to strengthen community protection systems, improve resilience, and ensure that support is delivered equitably and effectively to Syria’s most vulnerable families.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.