ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than two million refugees and internally displaced individuals have returned to their homes in Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, the United Nations refugee agency chief said on Thursday.
“Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December - a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on X.
“This proves that we need political solutions - not another wave of instability and displacement,” he added.
Before his visit to Syria, Grandi met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Beirut, where they discussed “how to increase opportunities for Syrian refugees to return home.”
Grandi stressed that “for returns to be sustainable, Syria needs more and faster international support.”
Syria has been devastated by a civil war that began in 2011 following uprisings against Assad. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and left millions in need of humanitarian aid.
More than 13 million Syrians - half the country’s pre-war population - have been displaced since the war began, including over six million who have fled the country, according to the United Nations.
While the new Syrian leadership in Damascus has pledged to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious communities, it continues to face criticism over its treatment of minority groups. Combined with ongoing security concerns, this is expected to drive more Syrians to seek refuge abroad.
