UNHCR reports 7.4 M IDPs, 16.5 M in need of aid in Syria in 2025
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syria continues to grapple with a deepening humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 7.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 16.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Monday.
In a recent statement, the UNHCR said that security remains fragile in several parts of the country, while access to basic services is severely limited.
The agency noted that between Dec. 8, 2024, and June 2025, following the fall of the former government, around 640,000 Syrian refugees returned to the country, with the number expected to rise despite persistent challenges.
In the same period, more than 1.5 million IDPs have returned to their places of origin since late November 2024.
Responding to increasing calls from refugees seeking to return, UNHCR announced a gradual operational shift toward facilitating voluntary repatriations to Syria. The agency stressed that such returns must be voluntary and based on refugees’ free and informed decisions.
“UNHCR continues to provide protection and assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, returnees, stateless persons, and host communities, in line with identified needs, vulnerabilities, and available resources,” the statement read.