Many areas in war-torn Syria still need to be demined and cleared to allow a safe refugee return, which must not be hurried and forced, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore told Sputnik in an interview
DAVOS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2019) Many areas in war-torn Syria still need to be demined and cleared to allow a safe refugee return, which must not be hurried and forced, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore told Sputnik in an interview."Refugees returning to Syria should be able to do so safely and voluntarily - returns must never be forced ... So many areas of the countryside, the villages and cities need to be demined and decontaminated. Children are the most vulnerable to unexploded ordnances because they are shiny, colored, and attractive. Before the children inside Syria, and those returning from other countries, can be safe, these areas need to be cleared," Fore said.
The UNICEF executive director added that returning families would need all basic services, such as schools, health facilities, water and electricity, to function.
"Many of the teachers, health and community workers have also been displaced, and they will require enormous support," Fore pointed out.
The UNICEF chief said that the organization was providing "psychosocial support � support that is proven to help children cope with the shocks they endured and gradually reconnect with their childhoods."
"Last year, UNICEF reached over 1 million children and their families both inside Syria and in neighboring countries with psychosocial support. It has helped bring communities back together, helped children go back to school, and access the support they need to foster their healing," Fore said.
Syria spent several years, starting in 2011, gripped by internal conflict, exacerbated by terrorists taking hold of vast swathes of land. In late 2017, the victory over the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) was declared in Syria, and refugees began returning to their homes.
