Press Release

North-East Syria. AICS and UPP still standing by women and children in Raqqa

The "Darna Al-Aman" project, the third phase of the programme financed by the Italian Cooperation and implemented by Un Ponte Per (UPP) to increase access to protection, health and psychophysical wellbeing services for the most vulnerable population in the Raqqa area, is now underway.

Rome, 8 April 2021 - "Darna Al-Aman" (Our Protected Home), the third phase of the protection, psychophysical health, women's empowerment and child protection programme financed by the Italian Cooperation and implemented by the Italian NGO Un Ponte Per (UPP), together with local partners Doz and the Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC) in north-east Syria, is now underway. Following the end of Daesh (so-called ISIS) control in Raqqa Governorate, the programme had been launched in 2018 to address the needs of the population.

The aim of these years was to restore primary health services in the western part of Raqqa, ensure first aid and safe return to the city for families after liberation from Daesh (Islamic State). Today, the whole area is still struggling with a slow and complex process of returning to normalcy.

The specific aim of this third phase will be to further improve access to integrated protection and health services as well as to set up services for the prevention of and response to gender-based violence and violence against children.

In particular, the intervention will focus on setting up two 'Safe Spaces' in the Raqqa area
- a 'Space for women and girls' with a women's empowerment approach where they can access information on rights and health and rebuild through social activities a network of mutual support, after years of war where the role of women has been confined to the private and family sphere. Here, social workers will provide psychosocial support and integrated, non-stigmatising individual services for women and girls who are survivors of gender-based violence;
- a 'Child Friendly Space', where children and their families can receive protection and education on rights and health, develop self-esteem, creative and social skills, and have fun and play in complete safety. In addition, adolescents will participate in the activities of the Doz community centre and social workers will ensure the management of the most vulnerable cases among children who have experienced violence, abuse and neglect to support their resilience in a protracted emergency context.

Reproductive health, paediatrics and newborn health activities in the Raqqa hospital already provided by Un Ponte Per and the Kurdish Red Crescent will be increased, as well as those of the mobile reproductive health units, ensuring free pre/postnatal visits to mothers and postnatal visits to newborns.

The intervention, lasting a total of one year, is expected to reach a total of more than 20,000 people. Among them, almost 12,000 women, girls and minors will have access to health services; more than 4,000 women and girls will have access to information services on rights, prevention of gender-based violence and reproductive health at the space dedicated to them; more than 2,000 children will have access to psycho-social support, and play-recreational activities at the 'Child Friendly Space'. 100 of them will receive services to deal with the most vulnerable cases including gender-based violence, violence and abuse, and child exploitation.

"Darna Al-Aman" is part of a broader framework of interventions that UPP, thanks to the valuable support of the Italian Cooperation, has been carrying out in north-east Syria, and in particular in the Governorate of Raqqa, since the beginning of the humanitarian emergency in 2015.