Ms Muna Abbas:

I thank Ms Van Lieshout. I thank the Chairman and respected committee members. It is my pleasure to be with the committee this morning.

While the Syrian crisis marks its tenth year this month, 40% of children under the age of 18 are registered as refugees. Jordan and Lebanon, as neighbouring countries, host the highest percentage of refugees globally when compared to the local population. Both Jordan and Lebanon are countries with limited resources where governments have already been struggling to respond to the needs of their own citizens, a situation that puts these countries at high risk of instability.

In Jordan, for example, 90,000 Syrian refugee children were reported to be out of school in 2019. This number is expected to be dramatically increased during the pandemic as the Government has closed schools and other learning spaces in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus.

In such a complex context, girls are the most affected as they can be subjected to gender-based violence, including early marriage. When we say, "early marriage", we mean marriage under the age of 18. Eventually, they are deprived of their right to education while also not having access to vital services for protection, nutrition, health and well-being. Before the conflict, 13% of Syrian women aged between 20 to 35 were married before the age of 18. Now, among Syrian refugees living in Jordan, rates have risen to as high as 29%.

In assessments conducted by Plan International in Jordan jointly with the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, to assess the impact of Covid-19 and the lockdown on girls, results show that adolescent girls have high household burdens and fewer positive outlets. Girls are busier doing household chores as well as taking care of younger children and helping them with their studies. All this means less time for adolescent girls to focus on their own education.

The gender digital divide whereby girls have reduced access to information and communication technology translates into reduced learning opportunities during school closures. For example, the average cost for Internet services per household in Jordan is approximately $50 per month, which most families cannot afford, especially during the pandemic and lockdown and particularly among Syrian refugee families. Girls also reported that they have less access to tech devices such as mobile telephones, tablets and computers compared with boys in the same family.

With the support of Irish Aid and other donors, over the past four years we were able to support thousands of Syrians and vulnerable Jordanian children, mainly girls, to access educational opportunities. During the pandemic last year, hundreds of girls were supported to attend online classes by providing them with electronic devices and Internet connectivity.

The needs are huge and they are still here. An entire generation is at risk. We know we can help and how we can do so. We believe that together we can make a difference to those children's lives. I thank the committee. I will hand over to Ms Winstanly.