Over 2 million Syrians return home following regime collapse

In the aftermath of the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime in December 2024, which followed a swift military campaign led by the jihadist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a significant number of Syrians began repatriating. A senior United Nations official recently announced that over 2 million individuals have returned home since this regime change, with the majority being internally displaced due to the civil war that erupted in 2011. The UN's International Office of Migration estimates that approximately 6 million people sought refuge outside Syria during the prolonged conflict. Alongside these figures, an additional estimated 7.4 million were displaced within the country, highlighting the immense humanitarian crisis that resulted from the conflict and its aftermath. The region faced dire challenges as returnees struggled to find adequate housing and basic needs. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, pointed out that the increasing rate of returnees is exerting additional pressure on already strained services such as health care, access to clean water, and education. In spite of the influx of returnees, these essential services remain inadequate, unable to meet the needs of the returning population and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Tensions have also surfaced due to recent sectarian violence in Syria, particularly clashes between the Druze community and Sunni Muslim Bedouins in Sweida. Following the abduction of a Druze individual by members of Bedouin tribes, violence erupted, prompting Israeli intervention through airstrikes to assist the Druze community. The response to this violence highlighted the delicate and precarious situation in the country following the regime's fall, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by former residents returning to areas still fraught with instability and violence. As the Syrian government, led by the new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, engages with foreign investors to seek economic support and rebuild infrastructure, the transitional phase demonstrates the complexities of post-conflict recovery. Saudi Arabia's influential role, particularly in lifting sanctions on Syria, has attracted investment commitments that promise to aid in rebuilding efforts and economic revitalization. However, rural areas remain largely inaccessible to international entities, indicating that any progress toward national recovery is likely to be uneven and concentrated in urban centers, reinforcing existing inequalities in access to resources and opportunities.