Geneva: About 400,000 Syrians have returned from neighboring countries since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, according to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). During the same period, more than one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) returned within Syria, bringing the total number of Syrians who have returned to their homes to over 1.4 million.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, a UNHCR report warned that the expected return of 1.5 million people this year is unlikely to materialize, and that returnees will be forced to leave if sufficient funding is not received. The report indicated that approximately 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 UNHCR launched an operational framework to help 1.5 million refugees and 2 million internally displaced persons return to their homes in 2025. However, only $71 million of the $575 million required for UNHCR’s programs inside Syria for 2025 has been pledged so far. The UNHCR explained that without additional funding, it will only be able to assist a small fraction of those intending to return, meaning the number of returnees will decline.