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Kits for kids: Dubai Cares, Union Coop to support 50,000 refugee children

Dubai - 900,000 Syrian school-age refugee children and adolescents are not in school

Dubai Cares and Union Coop have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) whereby Union Coop will sponsor Dubai Cares' upcoming 'Volunteer Emirates' edition to be held in support of children in Jordan who are affected by the Syrian crisis.
This Back to School edition of 'Volunteer Emirates' will run at Al Boom Tourist Village from June 17 to 22, with the support of 3,000 expected Dubai Cares volunteers who will assemble 50,000 school kits to be distributed to Syrian refugee children in Jordan.
According to UNHCR, in 2009, 94 per cent of Syrian children attended primary and lower secondary education. But by June 2016, only 60 per cent of children in Syria are in school, leaving 2.1 million children and adolescents without access to education.
In neighbouring countries, over 4.8 million Syrian refugees are registered with UNHCR, and 35 per cent amongst them are of school-going age. In Turkey, only 39 per cent of school-age refugee children and adolescents were enrolled in primary and secondary education, 40 per cent in Lebanon, and 70 per cent in Jordan. This means that nearly 900,000 Syrian school-age refugee children and adolescents are not in school.
Tariq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares, said: "Through this initiative, we are ensuring that children affected by the Syrian crisis regain a sense of normality. Something as small as a school bag given to a child at the beginning of a new school year can make a difference in that child's life. Dubai Cares will continue to do its best to positively impact the learning experience of that children affected by the Syrian crisis by ensuring they get the support and resources they need to rebuild their lives.
He also thanked Union Coop's immensely generous sponsorship, illustrating the organisation's commitment to corporate social responsibility.
The initiative is expected to attract thousands of volunteers over a period of six days. They will assist Dubai Cares in assembling school kits that will include a backpack, a pencil case, A5 notebooks, a sketchbook, a calculator, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, pens and crayons, rulers, stickers and labels. Dubai Cares, with the support of its implementing partner Save the Children, will then distribute the assembled school kits to children in Jordan who are affected by the Syria crisis ahead of the beginning of academic year 2017-18.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com
Education in Syria & Turkey
* 60% - children enrolled in school in Syria
* 2.1 million - don't have access to education
* 900,000 - school-age Syrian refugee kids/teens across Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon not enrolled in school