Main Navigation

  • News
    • Local News
    • Election Results
    • Nebraska News
      • Capitol News
    • US & World News
    • Entertainment News
    • Poll of the Day
    • Photos of the Week
    • Links We Mentioned
    • Get News Alerts
    • Submit Your News
  • Weather
    • 10-Day Outlook
    • Weather Radar
    • Closings & Delays
    • Flight Tracker
    • Power Outages
    • Your Weather Photos
    • Nebraska Weather Cameras
  • Sports
    • Husker Sports
    • High School Sports
  • Community
    • Showcase Nebraska
    • KLKN Contests
    • Midday Interviews
    • Community Calendar Events
  • Watch
    • Live Newscasts
    • Live News Events
    • Nebraska Weather Cameras
    • Video
    • TV Schedule
    • Channel 8 Apps
  • About
    • Channel 8 News Team
    • Advertise With Us
    • Careers
    • Closed Captioning
    • DMCA Agent
    • FCC Public File
    • FCC Applications
    • Children’s TV Report
    • EEO Report
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Standard Media Group
  • NOW Local News App

Eyebrow Menu

  • Submit News
  • KLKN Apps
KLKN-TV
  • Submit News
  • KLKN Apps
  • News
    • Local News
    • Election Results
    • Nebraska News
      • Capitol News
    • US & World News
    • Entertainment News
    • Poll of the Day
    • Photos of the Week
    • Links We Mentioned
    • Get News Alerts
    • Submit Your News
  • Weather
    • 10-Day Outlook
    • Weather Radar
    • Closings & Delays
    • Flight Tracker
    • Power Outages
    • Your Weather Photos
    • Nebraska Weather Cameras
  • Sports
    • Husker Sports
    • High School Sports
  • Community
    • Showcase Nebraska
    • KLKN Contests
    • Midday Interviews
    • Community Calendar Events
  • Watch
    • Live Newscasts
    • Live News Events
    • Nebraska Weather Cameras
    • Video
    • TV Schedule
    • Channel 8 Apps
  • About
    • Channel 8 News Team
    • Advertise With Us
    • Careers
    • Closed Captioning
    • DMCA Agent
    • FCC Public File
    • FCC Applications
    • Children’s TV Report
    • EEO Report
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Standard Media Group
  • NOW Local News App
Nebraska News

After Assad’s fall, Syrian refugees in Lincoln face choice on whether to return

December 10, 2024 6:33 pm
Karen Lucrece,

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Many Syrians celebrated after the fall of former President Bashar Assad’s regime, but some say the danger is far from over.

An estimated 7 million people were displaced during Syria’s long civil war.

Just this year, 200 Syrians have come to Catholic Social Services in Lincoln for assistance.

The war is over, but their lives remain in limbo, as the needs are still overwhelming in Syria.

Food, medical care and mental health services are among the most urgent.

“Especially now, without any control from the government and the resistance forces still have not fully controlled everything, so there’s some chaos which was expected from people having lived in poverty all this time,” said Maed Alkoutaini, a Syrian refugee who has been in Lincoln for 12 years.

The lack of basic services and ongoing political instability make returning home a dangerous prospect for some.

But some are ready.

“A lot of people have already started preparing to go back, a lot of refugees in other countries especially whose conditions are not as good as, like, in the U.S.,” Alkoutaini said. “But they are still wanting to see how those conditions would change.”

And for those who dream of returning, what kind of Syria would they come home to?

“If I go back right now to where I’m from, I wouldn’t know the people that lived around me,” Alkoutaini said. “A lot of people changed. Like, people moved to other countries, people moved to other cities. And I think home is not only by the place, it’s by the people around you.”

Alkoutaini said for many Syrians, the future remains uncertain, but their resilience and hope for a better tomorrow continues.

He said their story is one of survival and relentless search for peace.

“We’re all one and should not be divided inside of Syria,” Alkoutaini said. “Like, we should be all one people and have our freedom and our democracy.”

Categories: Lancaster, News, Top Stories
Tags: bashar assad, Catholic Social Services, Lancaster County, lincoln, Lincoln refugees, Maed Alkoutaini, refugees, Syria, Syria civil war, Syria refugees, Syrian, syrian civil war, Syrian refugees
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
Download the Channel 8 News app

Related

Garage fire

Electrocuted squirrel causes central Lincoln garage to go up in flames

Pedestrian Seriously Injured In Lincoln Crash

Pedestrian seriously injured in Lincoln crash

Police cruiser

LPD investigating north Lincoln robbery

'The best kid in the world': Eagle Raceway mourns death of 11-year-old boy

Most Viewed

Nebraska's move over law is about to get stricter

'Going to be a pain': Concerns growing as two-year construction project starts on Highway 77

Runner who died after south Lincoln crash is identified

'The best kid in the world': Eagle Raceway mourns death of 11-year-old boy

LPD: Runner dies after being hit by vehicle in south Lincoln

Featured

@NebraskaNow

Showcase Nebraska

Small Business Saturday

Live Nebraska Cameras

Links We Mentioned

Entertainment News

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift attend Nebraska-Cincinnati game after engagement

Interest in Taylor Swift’s engagement to Travis Kelce shows her ‘enormous’ pop culture power

Pinnacle Bank Arena gets a $10 million upgrade to boost fan experience

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged

Lil Nas X charged with attacking police officers as he walked naked on Los Angeles street

News

  • News
  • Local News
  • Nebraska News
  • Links We Mentioned
  • Capitol News
  • US & World News
  • Consumer
  • Health News
  • Entertainment News
  • Get News Alerts
  • Submit Your News

Local News

  • Fillmore
  • Gage
  • Jefferson
  • Lancaster
  • Saline
  • Seward
  • York

Weather

  • Weather
  • 10-Day Outlook
  • Closings & Delays
  • Flight Tracker
  • Power Outages
  • Weather Radar
  • Your Weather Photos

Traffic

  • Traffic
  • Traffic Map

Sports

  • Sports
  • Husker Sports
  • High School

Community

  • Community
  • Magic Moments
  • Midday Interviews
  • Camp It: Nebraska Kids Camps
  • KLKN Contests

Watch

  • Watch
  • Live News
  • Video
  • TV Schedule
  • Mr. Food

About

  • About
  • Channel 8 News Team
  • Advertise With Us
  • Careers
  • Closed Captioning
  • DMCA Agent
  • FCC Public File
  • EEO Report
  • FCC Applications
  • Children’s TV Report
  • Standard Media Group
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

© 2025 KLKN-TV.

Nebraska News
© Copyright 2025 KLKN Lincoln Operations, LLC - A Standard Media Company - All Rights Reserved
Powered byBLOX Digital