Evacuation of SOS Children’s Village in Damascus

Damascus, Syria, September 28, 2016 – “SOS Children’s Villages International expresses its concern about the occupation of our Village in Damascus by military personnel and an earlier mortar attack on the premises.

“Our Villages are recognized globally as safe havens for children and we dedicate ourselves to providing caring, loving and secure family environments. As a non-governmental organization, SOS Children’s Villages is committed to the principles of neutrality and impartiality and to defending the rights of children to grow up in a safe and caring environment. SOS Children’s Villages has lost control over the village and is not a party to any actions taking place from or within the Village premises.

“We have worked for more than 30 years to provide care and protection for vulnerable children in Syria and will continue to do so. SOS Children’s Villages calls on all parties of the Syrian conflict to respect all the rights of children.” Carsten Völz, Chief Operating Officer of SOS Children’s Villages International

As the conflict continues, the SOS mothers at the Village in Damascus focus on doing what they do best - keeping the children safe.

“There has been fighting in the area around our Village for some time. It has been frightening, but as an SOS mother, I have done all I can to keep the children distracted from the sounds of bombs. We play games and sing songs, the children enjoy drawing and we put their pictures up on the walls of our house.

“When the decision was made that we should evacuate the Village, it was a huge relief. As a mother I feel I can keep my children safe. We kept the children calm and told them that we are going to a new home. When we heard that two mortars hit the Village only hours after our evacuation, we knew it was the right decision. We hope for peace so that our children can settle and can grow up without worrying about bombs or war.” SOS mother, SOS Children’s Village Damascus.

How You Can Help

SOS Children's Villages has been in Syria since the 1970s and has 135 children in our care, we have supported thousands  of children and families through our emergency programming. If you’d like to help refugees affected by the Syria crisis and other emergencies around the world, please donate here.