United Nations: 1.4 million Syrians return to their homes

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported yesterday the return of 400,000 Syrians from neighboring countries and more than a million internally displaced persons to their homes since the fall of the Ba'athist regime on December 8, 2024.

A report from the Commission warned of the possibility that the expected return of 1.5 million people this year may not materialize, and that returnees may be forced to leave again if sufficient funding is not obtained.

It pointed out that nearly 16.7 million people inside Syria – about 90% of the population – need some form of humanitarian assistance, while more than 7.4 million Syrians remain internally displaced.

The Commission launched an operational framework to assist 1.5 million refugees and two million internally displaced persons to return to their homes by 2025. However, only 71 million US dollars out of the required 575 million dollars for the Commission's programs inside Syria for 2025 have been pledged so far.

The commission clarified that without additional funding, it will only be able to assist a small fraction of those intending to return, which means a decrease in the number of returnees to their homes.

T/S

ANHA