The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council has called on the international community to provide “investment and incentive” that would help Syrians displaced by nearly 14 years of civil war to rebuild their lives.
The end of the war in December last year, when president Bashar Al Assad was toppled, has presented a “historic opportunity”, the refugee council's secretary general Jan Egeland told The National.
At least two million displaced Syrians and refugees are returning to extremely difficult conditions, with most homes damaged or destroyed, and widespread devastation in rural areas.
In July, the Norwegian Refugee Council said even basic services, such medical facilities and schools, were lacking in some areas where Syrians have returned home. That is coupled with the pervasive fear across the country of unexploded ordnance left over from the war.
The challenges include damaged infrastructure and limited resources for reintegration to help people rebuild their lives and communities.
“I cannot underline enough, we have a historic opportunity to help people return home,” Mr Egeland said. “Many Ukrainians cannot go back to their war-torn regions, the Sudanese cannot go back to places that are full of turmoil, but Syrians can return home.
“So why on Earth is there not more of an investment and incentive from the international community to invest in Syria, and also investment in the rebuilding process?”
The cost of the country's reconstruction has been estimated at between $250 billion and $400 billion.
“I ask, where are the development donors from Europe, from North America and from the Gulf countries, because I don't see [any] trace of them,” Mr Egeland said.
“I just see desperate people in rubble and I see people still in refugee camps, people who want to go home staying in the camps as they have no homes or money.”
According to the UN, more than half of Syria's population remains displaced and 90 per cent lives below the poverty line. Last year, 16.7 million people in Syria – 75 per cent of the population – required humanitarian assistance.
Mr Egeland said the Syrian government has prioritised the return of internally displaced people, followed by those living in camps and neighbouring countries.
He said Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani had told him he “is appealing to the international community, and I think [Syria] had expected more funding earlier, given the very warm welcome they got in December”.
The Norwegian Refugee Council has given small grants to some residents to start rebuilding their lives and businesses, Mr Egeland said.
“We give house rehabilitation grants of $400 so people were able to make their homes liveable again, and we were able to give a business grant of $2,000 to a tailor,” he said.
“The tailor had his shop bombed and with the money he could buy five modern sewing machines and other equipment. Now he has employed five other returnees, and they all have a good living. It's relatively small sums,” he said.
Access to Sweida
Mr Egeland also called for greater access to the southern Syrian province of Sweida, where the main city has been under siege since clashes erupted last month.
Although aid deliveries have increased over the past 10 days, the province needs more, he said.
Tensions are still high in Sweida, a majority Druze province where sectarian violence has left hundreds dead and laid bare the government’s struggles to unite the country. It began when local factions from the Druze sect clashed with Bedouin tribal fighters in mid-July.
Syria's government sent in troops to quell the fighting shortly afterwards, but the clashes intensified, killing more than 1,000 people. Since then, Sweida has been surrounded by government troops and auxiliaries. Despite a ceasefire being agreed within days, nearly 200,000 people fled their homes as intermittent clashes continued over the last month.
The violence has prevented aid groups from making regular deliveries to Sweida. Agencies say they need a stable ceasefire and permanent calm to reach residents directly. Government forces encircled the area amid a fragile truce, and Druze leaders accused Damascus of barring most humanitarian aid from entering.
The situation in Sweida is still “very tense”, Mr Egeland said.
He said the refugee council had prepared a shipment of emergency relief, in co-ordination with the UN and other agencies, but was awaiting permission from authorities before sending it out of its warehouses in Syria.
“We've tried to get aid into the southern province for the last three weeks,” he said. He added that he was hopeful the delivery would be made in the next few days.
Sweida residents “need everything that displaced people need”, he added. “People fled from their homes without anything. So they need emergency relief – more than anything they need protection and safety.
“I brought up with the Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani that we need swift clearance for aid to all communities and across Syria. And he said, yes, that is their aim, and they will set up a good system for that.”
Mr Egeland said he hopes there will be no further outbreaks of fighting in the country.
“We really urge a reconciliation effort so that there is no more violence in this area nor in the coastal cities,” he said, referring to clashes in March between government and allied forces and fighters loyal to the Assad regime. Hundreds of members of the former president's minority Alawite community were killed.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Health Valley
Founded in 2002 and set up as a foundation in 2006, Health Valley has been an innovation in healthcare for more than 10 years in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
It serves as a place where companies, businesses, universities, healthcare providers and government agencies can collaborate, offering a platform where they can connect and work together on healthcare innovation.
Its partners work on technological innovation, new forms of diagnostics and other methods to make a difference in healthcare.
Its agency consists of eight people, four innovation managers and office managers, two communication advisers and one director. It gives innovation support to businesses and other parties in its network like a broker, connecting people with the right organisation to help them further
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Read more about the coronavirus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
SPECS
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HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
'Nope'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jordan%20Peele%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Daniel%20Kaluuya%2C%20Keke%20Palmer%2C%20Brandon%20Perea%2C%20Steven%20Yeun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Getting%20there%20
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It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
