ALBAWABA - In northwest Syria, colorful buses were transformed into classrooms, making their way between displacement camps, providing educational lessons and psychological support for children whose schools were destroyed by the latest strong earthquake which hit Turkey and Syria three months ago.
(Photo by AFP)
Children gather with joy and excitement around the colorful bus adorned with pictures and slogans, including "Letter Train".
They then board the bus one by one, attending diverse classes in Arabic, English, science, and mathematics.
The bus stops near a displaced persons' camp on the outskirts of the town of Jinderes, located in the Aleppo province and close to the Turkish border. This area has been heavily affected by the earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey.
Estimates indicate that at least 452 primary and secondary schools have been affected to varying degrees, In Syria.
Additionally, at least 25,000 affected teachers are in need of mental health support, psychosocial and social support, appropriate compensation, and capacity building.
More than three months after the quake, 3.7 million children in Syria "continue to face desperate conditions and need humanitarian assistance", says the United Nations children's agency UNICEF.
"We were living in Jindayris and the earthquake happened and then we didn't have homes anymore," Jawaher Hilal said.
The fifth-grader, who is currently residing with her family at the displaced persons' camp on the outskirts of town, said, "We moved here to live, but the school is located very far away."
(Photos by Rami al SAYED / AFP)
The February 6 quake killed nearly 8,000 people in Syria, many of them in the war-torn country's rebel-held northwest, and also left tens of thousands dead in Turkey.
