⚔️ 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 relocated persons, Filippo Grandi, warned on Monday. Grandi stated 1. Additionally, 2 million relocated persons 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 crisis commenced 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 informed donors in Geneva last week that falling contributions could even force latest returnees to leave Syria again. “Returns continue in fairly significant numbers, but unless we step up broader efforts, the risk of reversals is very real,” he stated. Syria’s $3. 19 billion relief response is only 29 percent funded, as per UN figures, as significant donors reduce foreign aid budgets.

The World Health Organization warned that backing is declining faster than national systems can recover, creating dangerous gaps in the health sector. Meanwhile, the slow removal of unexploded ordnance remains a significant barrier to recovery. The aid group Humanity and Inclusion declared 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 backing is essential to maintain return trends and prevent further displacement as Syria enters its second year of post-crisis transition.

By Jwan Shekaki