UN warns funding shortfall could stall return of millions to Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – More than three million Syrians have returned to their homes since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s rule a year ago, but declining international funding threatens to halt that momentum, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, warned on Monday.
Grandi said 1.2 million refugees and 1.9 million internally displaced people have gone back to their areas of origin over the past year, marking the largest wave of returns since the conflict began in 2011.
He cautioned that “Syrians are ready to rebuild – the question is whether the world is ready to help them do it,” noting that more than five million refugees remain in neighboring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon.
The UN Commissioner told donors in Geneva last week that falling contributions could even force recent returnees to leave Syria again.
“Returns continue in fairly large numbers, but unless we step up broader efforts, the risk of reversals is very real,” he said.
Syria’s $3.19 billion humanitarian response is only 29 percent funded, according to UN figures, as major donors reduce foreign aid budgets.
The World Health Organization warned that support is declining faster than national systems can recover, creating dangerous gaps in the health sector.
Meanwhile, the slow removal of unexploded ordnance remains a major barrier to recovery. The aid group Humanity and Inclusion reported more than 1,500 deaths and injuries from explosive remnants in the past year, while clearance operations are only 13 percent funded.
The UN says sustained support is essential to maintain return trends and prevent further displacement as Syria enters its second year of post-conflict transition.