COVID-19, Early Childhood Development, and Refugee Settings: How the International Rescue Committee is Adapting

Join us for a discussion with Heidi Rosbe and Aymen Taha from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) for an in-depth look at how humanitarian organizations are adapting their early childhood development (ECD) programs to continue serving refugees and other vulnerable populations during the pandemic.

There are approximately 5 million children who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria; 1 in 10 registered refugees are under the age of 5. Together through their Ahlan Simsim initiative, the IRC and Sesame Workshop are working to bring ECD to a generation at risk and to help heal the scars of war. The IRC leads the direct service component of the initiative, which includes classrooms and home visiting as well as other center-based programming, delivery methods that have been disrupted by COVID-19. The IRC is adapting in real time, ensuring they continue to reach vulnerable children and their caregivers across the Syrian response region and Iraq. In this discussion, Heidi and Aymen will introduce the Ahlan Simsim program, share the adaptations the team is making in response to COVID-19, and answer your questions about how humanitarian programming is being tested by this pandemic and responding to new opportunities.