The Syrian Future Movement welcomes the signing on Thursday, February 5, 2026, of a €15 million grant agreement between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the German government, represented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in cooperation with the German Development Bank (KfW). This grant will enhance access to safe drinking water and sustainable sanitation in Syria, targeting 14.4 million people, including 6 million children, with 2.3 million people directly benefiting.
The Syrian Future Movement views this UN-German partnership as a crucial and welcome step towards addressing one of the most pressing humanitarian crises in Syria. The water and sanitation sector has suffered severe deterioration due to years of conflict, economic decline, and climate change, threatening public health, especially that of children, who are the most vulnerable to waterborne diseases and poor sanitation.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes the importance of this support in the context of rebuilding essential infrastructure. The project includes rehabilitating water supply and wastewater treatment networks, improving the efficiency of operation and maintenance systems, updating hydrogeological studies, and implementing solutions that enhance resilience to water scarcity and climate change. This is being done in cooperation with the Syrian Ministry of Energy and relevant local stakeholders, and it builds upon a successful partnership that began in 2021, which has contributed to providing clean water to more than 4.1 million people.
The Syrian Future Movement underscores the importance of:
- Providing safe drinking water and sustainable sanitation services to millions of children and families, thereby reducing the spread of preventable diseases, alleviating the daily burdens on mothers and children, and improving the learning environment and healthy development.
- Strengthening trusted international partnerships with Germany and the United Nations, as evidence of growing confidence in Syria’s recovery path following recent political changes, and supporting a transition from emergency response to long-term, sustainable solutions.
- A direct contribution to protecting children’s fundamental rights, as UNICEF Representative in Syria Meritxell Relaño Arana emphasized: “Access to safe water is not a privilege, but a fundamental right for children’s survival and development.” Annette Schamas from BMZ also noted Germany’s commitment to strengthening community resilience.
The Syrian Future Movement recognizes the accompanying challenges, including:
- The need for effective coordination between governmental and local authorities to ensure the equitable distribution of benefits geographically and socially, especially in remote and severely affected areas.
- Addressing the economic and logistical challenges that may affect the speed of implementation and the sustainability of maintenance after the initial funding ends.
- The importance of linking these initiatives to comprehensive national reforms that include strengthening water governance, combating corruption in resource management, and adapting to climate change at the national level.
In this context, the Syrian Future Movement presents its national vision for the future, calling on the Syrian government and relevant stakeholders to:
- Develop an integrated national strategy for the water and sanitation sector, focusing on sustainable international partnerships, prioritizing the training of local personnel, followed by infrastructure modernization, and integrating technological solutions for efficient water resource management.
- Enhancing transparency and community participation in project implementation to ensure that the most vulnerable groups, including internally displaced persons and returnees, benefit, and transforming the water sector into a model of efficiency and equity.
- Expanding cooperation with international organizations and friendly countries to support other interconnected sectors such as health and education, while adhering to the values of civic engagement and pluralism, to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable Syrian recovery that guarantees the dignity of every citizen, especially the younger generations.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on all national forces and international partners to strengthen such initiatives as an essential part of the reconstruction and stabilization process, towards a stable Syria characterized by public health, sustainable development, and hope for its children.
