850,000 Syrian refugees have returned home since Assad’s fall, UN says

DAMASCUS, Syria — Following the downfall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December, approximately 850,000 Syrian refugees have made their way back home from neighboring nations. This number is expected to reach 1 million in the near future, as stated by a senior official from the U.N. refugee agency on Monday.

Deputy High Commissioner of UNHCR Kelly T. Clements informed The Associated Press in Damascus that around 1.7 million individuals who were internally displaced during the lengthy conflict have now returned to their respective communities, with the interim central government regaining control over significant parts of Syria.

“It’s a period of change. There’s a chance that we may witness potential solutions to one of the largest global displacements we have witnessed in the past 14 years,” remarked Clements, who has been present in Syria for three days.

The conflict in Syria, which commenced in March 2011, has resulted in the deaths of nearly half a million individuals and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. Over five million Syrians sought refuge in neighboring nations.

Clements noted that each individual has their own reasons for returning at this time, while some are adopting a wait-and-see approach.

During her visit, she visited a border crossing with Lebanon where she witnessed long queues of trucks and individuals waiting to re-enter Syria.

Lebanese authorities granted amnesty to Syrians residing illegally in the country if they departed by the end of August. Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita globally, and in recent days, thousands of Syrians have returned across the border.

“The number of returnees is significantly high,” Clements affirmed.

Following the ousting of Assad in an offensive by insurgent groups in early December, many Syrians harbored high hopes. However, sectarian violence targeting members of Assad’s Alawite minority in Syria’s coastal region in March and against the Druze minority in the southern province of Sweida in July resulted in numerous casualties.

Clements mentioned that approximately 190,000 individuals were displaced in southern Syria due to the clashes in July between pro-government forces and Druze fighters. Since then, 21 relief convoys, with UNHCR playing a significant role, were dispatched to Sweida, she added.

She highlighted that the Damascus-Sweida highway, previously blocked by pro-government forces, is now operational, which is crucial for facilitating the delivery of aid to the region.