Over three million refugees and internally displaced Syrians have now returned home in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, signaling what the U.N. says is a generation-defining moment in the attempt to resolve one of the worst displacement crises globally, although the new U.N. data suggest that the process remains precarious without continuous international assistance. The latest report by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveals that more than a million Syrians have returned to their place of origin within Syria, even though there have been over 670,000 new displacements since November 2024 due to ongoing armed conflict. In addition, UNHCR data indicate that more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees have returned home from neighboring countries since December 2024, and 1.9 million displaced Syrians have returned. However, returns are accelerating with regional conflicts forcing Syrians to flee from host nations like Lebanon, where 277,000 persons fled into Syria from March 2nd to April 12th, 2026.

“This is a once-in-a-generation chance to help end one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, calling for greater international support to ensure that returns become lasting. From January 2025 onward, UNHCR has extended its presence in countries hosting refugees, helping over 24,000 cases in Jordan and around 45,000 Syrian nationals in Lebanon. The human cost of this effort is high but highly variable. Many families have to go back to their homes, which are already heavily damaged, and to areas where water and electricity services are not available, along with basic medical care and poor sanitation. In addition, returning families will find themselves in an economy weakened by war for over ten years. Children cannot attend school, women are more vulnerable to violence, and returnees face the risk from unexploded ammunition in Syria on a daily basis. According to OCHA, over 70% of Syria’s population needs humanitarian aid.

The situation of Syria after the conflict offers an unusual combination of hope and danger. The right to repatriation is probably the most important precept of the protection regime for refugees, and there is something truly unprecedented about the number of people returning at present. However, a too rapid return process without the development of the necessary context risks triggering a second wave of displacement, one generated not by armed conflict but by the breakdown of essential services. Voluntary, safe, and dignified returns are not only an ethical requirement but the necessary condition for the achievement of peaceful coexistence.

The Syrian civil war erupted in 2011 when protests broke out against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which then became a multi-sided conflict, resulting in the displacement of more than half of Syria’s population prior to the conflict. When the government of President Assad was deposed on December 8, 2024, an estimated 13 million Syrians were displaced, either internally (almost seven million) or externally (over six million as refugees). This ushered in a historical era of political change, with a new administration coming into control and the gradual removal of EU Council sanctions in phases. Fighting has persisted in some areas of Syria, especially eastern rural Aleppo, coastal governorates, and parts of the northeast and south. By December 2025, about 3.9 million Syrian refugees had sought refuge in Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and other neighboring countries.

For the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Syria, which is currently under development, the cost required to help 10.3 million people is expected to be around $3.2 billion; however, the level of humanitarian funding has decreased dramatically, leading to budget reductions of food aid, cash transfers, and even protection. In accordance with a regional intentions survey conducted by UNHCR, 18% of the Syrian refugees want to go back within a year; at the same time, more than 70% view their return as temporary or exploratory, based on the feasibility of the journey due to economic reasons, security, and humanitarian aid. The Security Council will conduct a briefing on the situation regarding the political and humanitarian aspects of Syria in June 2026. For millions of Syrians considering returning home, the presence of functioning schools, hospitals, and safe housing will be crucial to turning this historic opportunity into a sustainable peace after nearly 14 years of suffering.