Hundreds of thousands of Syrians face continued displacement each coming year that the conflict continues and economic conditions deteriorate, the Norwegian Refugee Council said Monday.
Economic deterioration and hardship are increasingly driving Syrians out of their homes, but the number of displaced will be higher if large military operations resume, according to a report by the humanitarian group.
The Syrian conflict, which marks 10 years later this month, has resulted in the largest displacement crisis since World War II, with an estimated 2.4 million people displaced in and outside Syria every year since the war begin in 2011, the council said.
FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2019 file photo, a woman carries her baby at a screening center run by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces after being evacuated out of the last territory held by Islamic State militants, outside Baghouz, Syria. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians face continued displacement each coming year if the conflict continues and economic conditions further deteriorate, the Norwegian Refugee Council, a prominent humanitarian organization said Monday, March 8, 2021. The Syrian conflict, which marks 10 years later this month, has resulted in the largest displacement crisis since World War II, the council said. (AP PhotoFelipe Dana, File)
Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland called it a “decade of shame for humanity."
The conflict has left Syria divided and in ruins. Nearly half a million people have been killed, a million children born in exile, and the fate of tens of thousands of people imprisoned or forcibly disappeared remains unknown.
Of the country’s 23 million pre-war population, nearly 5.6 million are refugees living in neighboring countries and Europe. Some 6.5 million are displaced within the country, most of them for over five years.
In 2020, 1.8 million were newly displaced, according to the humanitarian organization, even though fighting subsided after the Syrian government restored control over most territories in military operations. In the same year, for every person that returned home, nearly four were newly displaced.
At least 60% of those newly displaced in January were forced to leave home because of deteriorating economic conditions and lack of services, the council said.
To reverse the stalemate in the conflict, the council called for a nationwide cease-fire and a political settlement.
It predicted the Syria crisis could see at least 6 million more displacements over the next decade if the conflict and economic deterioration continue at the same rate. It said there are little prospects for refugees and displaced people to return home with the lack of security and a political settlement.
Years of U.N.-sponsored peace talks have led nowhere. Presidential elections expected this spring feature a single candidate — President Bashar Assad, whose government and military forces oversaw the conflict.
Meanwhile, 23 million people, including 13.4 million Syrians and members of refugee-hosting countries are in need of humanitarian assistance, the largest number in the region to date, said Samah Hadid, head of advocacy and media at the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated needs and put strains on international assistance that has so far largely failed to keep up with the deepening crisis.
Major donors to Syria's humanitarian programs, such as the United Kingdom, already plan to cut as much as 67% of their funding for the war-torn country, according to leaked documents last month.
“This is huge,” Hadid said. “The cuts just further indicate the world abandoned Syrians at a time when needs and suffering are growing across the country."
Hadid said there is a need to consider more sustainable aid for Syrians, many of whom need help finding jobs. Some are returning to displacement camps because of lack of services or security.
“They are facing poverty, which is rising and they can't flee for safety," she said. “So they are completely stuck and they are going to be displaced for many years to come."
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden on Thursday paid tribute to her fellow teachers, hosting the 2024 national and state teachers of the year at a swanky White House dinner to honor their commitment to their students and excellence in the classroom.
“Tonight we celebrate you because teaching isn't just a job, it's a calling. And all of you were called to this profession for a reason," said the first lady, who has taught for more than 30 years. “You believe that a better world is possible and you make that world real.”
President Joe Biden made a brief, surprise appearance at the East Room event immediately after he returned from a trip to North Carolina, saying he appreciates everything teachers do.
“You're incredible,” he said. "You are the kite strings that lift our national ambitions aloft.”
The national and state teachers of the year typically attend a White House ceremony after they're selected by an organization that represents elementary and secondary school educators. (They did not visit during the coronavirus pandemic.)
But Jill Biden, who has taught English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College since 2009, added a new twist by honoring the teachers at a “state dinner” instead.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona pointed out that White House state dinners are reserved for kings, presidents and prime ministers as a sign of respect for their influence.
“So in hosting the state dinner for teachers, the president and his administration is honoring our teachers with a level of national respect that is long overdue,” he said to applause. “There is no American dream without American teachers.”
U.S. public schools continue to face a host of challenges, from teacher shortages due to low pay and job stress to underfunded schools to political fights over what should be taught and how.
A Pew Research Center survey conducted in April found majorities of K-12 teachers say their jobs are often stressful, their schools are understaffed and they wouldn't advise today's young people to follow them into the profession.
Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, who has taught for more than 30 years, said she often wishes she could create a “dream school” that would be a well-funded, modern and well-stocked place where every child flourishes and teachers see the potential in every student.
“Sadly, that dream can sometimes feel like a fantasy and our reality often feels heavy due to the struggles that we watch our students endure,” said Testerman, an English as a Second Language teacher at Rogersville City School in Rogersville, Tennessee.
“But in real life, we not only teach our students, we wrap our arms around them, advocate for them, help them feel secure and help them create a better future for themselves," she said.
A White House state dinner is a diplomatic tool selectively wielded by presidents to highlight cooperation from close U.S. allies. Key features include a pomp-filled welcome ceremony for the visiting head of state, face time with the president and a glitzy, black-tie dinner with hundreds of guests, including titans from the worlds of politics, business and Hollywood.
Teachers got a slimmed-down version.
As guests arrived, they posed for photos in front of a book shelf-like display featuring encyclopedias and other books with the papers of past presidents, brass hand bells, gold-painted apples and vases of irises, the official state flower of Tennessee, in honor of the National Teacher of the Year. Some of the vases were made out of upside-down pencils.
Each teacher was surprised at their seat by a handmade thank-you note from their students, fellow teachers and school leadership that was organized by their school principal.
Dinner was apple, walnut and celery root salad followed by a main course of lobster ravioli. Dessert was a trio of strawberries and cream, apple mousse and coconut custard cake.
Rounding out the guest list of more than 200 people were Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris; Cabinet members, including Cardona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose husband Chasten is a teacher; members of Congress and the heads of the two major teachers' unions. Emhoff, a former entertainment lawyer, teaches at Georgetown Law School.
This year's State Teachers of the Year include those from 49 states, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense. Florida did not participate.
The Council of Chief State School Officers oversees the National Teacher of the Year Program.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, right, listens as his husband Chasten Buttigieg, left, talks with reporter as they arrive for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2024, to honor the 2024 National Teacher of the Year and other teachers from across the United States. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Randi Weingarten, president the American Federation of Teachers, stands to be recognized during a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2024, to honor the 2024 National Teacher of the Year and other teachers from across the United States. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden speaks as Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, and first lady Jill Biden listen during a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2024, to honor the 2024 National Teacher of the Year and other teachers from across the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Joe Biden speaks as Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, and first lady Jill Biden listen during a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2024, to honor the 2024 National Teacher of the Year and other teachers from across the United States. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year toasts with first lady Jill Biden during a State Dinner at the White House in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2024, to honor the 2024 National Teacher of the Year and other teachers from across the United States. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
