UN Agency Reports Surge in Syrian Refugee Returns Following Assad’s Fall

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has announced that over 850,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December. The agency anticipates that this number will exceed one million in the coming weeks. Kelly T. Clements, the UNHCR’s Deputy High Commissioner, highlighted that approximately 1.7 million internally displaced Syrians have also returned to their communities as the interim central government consolidates its control over vast areas of Syria. Clements, who has been in Syria for three days, emphasized that this period represents a crucial moment, potentially offering a solution to the extensive global displacement crisis. The Syrian civil war, which began in March 2011, resulted in about 500,000 deaths and displaced half of the pre-war population of 23 million people. More than 5 million Syrians became refugees, mainly seeking refuge in neighboring countries.