More than 125,000 refugees return to Syria in desperate conditions
January 9, 2025
Damascus, Syria – More than 125,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their war-torn country in recent months, despite warnings from aid agencies that conditions are not yet safe for their return.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the majority of the returnees have come from neighbouring Lebanon, where they had been living in overcrowded and unsanitary refugee camps for years. Many of them are now living in makeshift shelters in government-controlled areas of Syria, where they face a lack of basic services such as electricity, running water, and healthcare.
“The situation for these people is desperate,” said UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic. “They have fled war and violence only to find themselves living in equally dire conditions in Syria.”
The Syrian government has encouraged refugees to return, but aid agencies say that the country is not yet ready to receive them. The war has destroyed much of Syria’s infrastructure, and there is still widespread violence in many parts of the country.
“It is premature to advocate for returns to Syria,” said NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland in November 2024. “Conditions in Syria are simply not safe for refugees to return. They face the threat of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, or recruitment by armed groups.”
Despite the risks, many refugees are choosing to return to Syria out of desperation. Many have lost hope of ever being resettled in a third country, and they are tired of living in exile.
“I know it’s not safe to go back to Syria,” said a Syrian refugee who returned from Lebanon last month. “But I have no choice. I have no work here, and I can’t afford to send my children to school. I have to go home.”
The Syrian government has said that it is committed to providing for the needs of returning refugees, but aid agencies say that the government is struggling to meet the basic needs of its own citizens.
“The government is facing a huge challenge,” said Mahecic. “They are trying to rebuild the country and provide for the needs of millions of displaced people. It will take time and international support to address the enormous humanitarian needs in Syria.”
The United Nations is calling on the international community to provide more funding for humanitarian aid in Syria. The UN is also calling on the Syrian government to improve the safety and security of the country so that refugees can return home in a safe and dignified manner.
More than 125,000 refugees return to Syria in desperate conditions
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