By Soha Bsat Boustani

BEQAA VALLEY, Syria, 27 July 2012 – “Why [do] all beautiful things have an end?” said 8-year-old Chadi* at the end of a five-week summer camp for Syrian refugee children and marginalized Lebanese children. “I was so happy here; I played, learned and made so many friends.”
The camp, organized by UNICEF and the Lebanese nongovernmental organization IQRA’ Association, offered a safe place for these children to learn, play and receive psychosocial support.

By David Youngmeyer

©UNICEF Jordan/2012/Samir
Children enjoy a break at a summer camp that is helping Syrian refugee children catch up on missed classes, in Amman, Jordan.

AMMAN, Jordan, 5 July 2012 – At a large primary school on the outskirts of the capital Amman, 11-year-old Basma* and her 7-year-old sister are among around 180 children, most of them Syrian refugees, taking part in a summer camp.

“The summer camp is very nice and fun, and I’ve made new friends here,” said Basma, who has a busy schedule of English, Arabic, math, science and physical education. Some 3,500 Syrian refugee children and 500 Jordanian children are attending summer camps at 40 schools throughout Jordan in a bid to catch up on lost classes and engage in recreational activities.