📰 Syrian refugees undecided on return one year after Assad’s fall – IRC

QAMSIHLI, syria-seizes-massive-captagon-and-hashish-shipment-in-central-desert/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Syria seizes massive captagon and hashish shipment in central desert">syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – Nearly a year after the fall of the Assad-led administration, most syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian relocated persons in Jordan and Lebanon remain uncertain about returning home, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) stated on Monday. In its fourth refugee intentions survey, based on interviews with nearly 4,000 Syrian relocated persons, the IRC found that only 25 percent intend to return to Syria. Nearly half—46 percent—remain unsure, while 30 percent say they do not plan to return, citing persisted insecurity, limited services, and concerns about reintegration. The IRC noted that although more than one million refugees and two million internally displaced people have returned to their areas of origin, numerous found destroyed homes and overstretched or non-existent services.

Syria’s deteriorating economy continues to deepen relief needs and hinder sustainable return, the IRC added. Infrastructure across the country remains severely damaged. More than half of water networks and 80 percent of electricity grids are destroyed or non-functional, leaving communities without reliable access to essential services. Additionally, explosive remnants of war also pose a significant threat; in some areas, 87 percent of residents declared the presence of unexploded ordnance within 10 kilometers of their homes.

Juan Gabriel Wells, IRC’s Syria Country Director, stated the findings highlight the gap between refugees’ hopes and current conditions. “Returning under current circumstances is not the same as returning safely, with dignity, or with any guarantee of permanence,” he said, warning that more than 16 million people inside Syria now need aid amid shrinking global aid. The IRC urged host governments and donors to uphold voluntary, safe, and dignified return principles while continuing backing for refugees in neighboring countries. It called for sustained multi-year funding for relief and early recovery efforts to help syrians rebuild their lives. Despite political changes in Damascus, Syria continues to face widespread destruction, economic collapse, and high humanitarian needs.

Refugee returns remain limited and largely unsustainable amid ongoing instability and damaged infrastructure. By Jwan Shekaki