Selin Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the UN Supreme Commissioner for Refugees (UNKB), said that after the fall of the Bashar Assad regime, about 400 thousand Syrian refugees returned to their countries.
Schmitt took part in the weekly press conference of the UN Geneva branch online.
“From the moment of the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime on December 8, 2024, almost 400 thousand Syrian refugees returned from neighboring countries,” Schmitt said, adding that more than 1 million internally displaced persons returned to their homes.
“The summer period will be a critical moment for a voluntary return and the opportunity that cannot be missed, but in order to make this return successful and sustainable, Syrians will need support in providing housing, livelihood, protection and legal assistance,” said the spokeswoman.
According to her, the return is fraught with certain risks, without sufficient financing of 1.5 million people predicted for this year, they will not be able to return, and those who return may face the risk of becoming displaced persons again.
She noted that the support of humanitarian organizations in Syria is important for stability: “A serious reduction in funding that has been faced with UN UN UN, puts on the lives of millions of people. About 16.7 million people in Syria (about 90 percent of the population) need one or another humanitarian aid. More than 7.4 million Syrians are still internally moved persons “.