One million Syrian refugees returned home since al-Assad’s fall, UN says

Since Bashar al-Assad’s rule overran Syria in December, the UN has reported that one million Syrian refugees have returned to their country, and it has also issued a warning about declining funding for humanitarian operations.

One million Syrians have returned to their country in nine months after the Bashar al-Assad government fell on December 8, 2024, according to a UNHCR statement released on Tuesday.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

The organization added that 1. 8 million Syrian refugees who had been displaced there for nearly 14 years had also retreated to their homes.

The conflict broke out after the Assad regime’s crackdown on peaceful antigovernment demonstrations as part of the Arab Spring protests in 2011 caused almost half of Syria’s 13 million population to flee.

Returnees’ challenges:

UNHCR noted that many Syrian refugees are struggling to rebuild their lives, citing the mass returns as “a sign of the great hope and high expectations Syrians have had following the country’s political transition.”

People’s resolve to return and recover are being challenged by “destroyed homes and infrastructure, weak and damaged basic services, a lack of job opportunities, and volatile security,” according to the organization.

More than 4.5 million Syrians are still living abroad, according to UNHCR, and over 7 million of them are internally displaced. It called for more money to be invested in stabilization initiatives and to give more assistance to frightened families.

Appel for humanitarian assistance

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said, “The international community, the private sector, and Syrians in the diaspora must come together to intensify their efforts to support recovery and ensure that those displaced by conflict are not forced to flee again.”

According to a recent UNHCR survey, 80% of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq want to go home one day, with 8% claiming they intend to do so within the next year.

The most vulnerable among them still require protection and assistance, according to Grandi, “and they have endured a lot of suffering over the past 14 years.” It’s equally crucial to continue supporting host nations like Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey to make sure returns are voluntary, secure, and dignified.

UNHCR issued a warning that aid funding is slipping. Only 30% of the requested funds have been provided for the wider regional Syria response, compared to the only 24 percent available for Syria.