Syria's road to recovery: Call for global support as refugees return home

AMMAN — As Syria marked the 14th anniversary of the conflict’s eruption on March 15, a potential window for peace and recovery is emerging. Since the fall of Bashar Al Assad’s regime three months ago, over a million Syrians have returned to their homeland while another million is expected to follow within the next year, according to UNHCR.

The situation was highlighted by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who recently warned that international support is crucial to prevent social and political divisions from deepening and to help refugees return safely and sustainably.

In his op-ed, Grandi stated, “If we neglect immediate humanitarian needs in Syria, social and political divisions will not heal... Without global support, millions of Syrian refugees and displaced people will see their dream of return ruined.”

International donors pledged 5.8 billion euros ($6.3 billion) in aid for Syria on Monday at the Brussels conference seeking to help set the war-torn country on the road to stability after Al Assad's ouster.

For many refugees, return is far from guaranteed, despite a rising desire to rebuild lives in their homeland. A recent survey by UNHCR showed that 27 per cent of Syrian refugees intend to return within the next 12 months — an increase from less than 2 per cent before the Assad regime's fall.

A struggle to rebuild amid destruction

However, the challenges refugees face upon their return are considerable. For many, returning to their homes means confronting widespread destruction: shattered infrastructure, ruined homes, and a lack of basic services such as water, electricity, and healthcare.

Grandi’s visit to Syria underscored the immense difficulties these returnees face.

“Many families are taking the brave step of returning home, longing for a better future, but they face overwhelming difficulties: destroyed and damaged homes, shattered infrastructure and widespread poverty,” Grandi said in a statement shared with The Jordan Times.

In Aleppo, one of Syria’s hardest-hit cities, Grandi met with families who spoke of their struggles. These returnees not only need housing and jobs but also vital services like healthcare and education, which are either absent or inadequate, the statement said.  

Ibtihal, a returnee from Jordan, shared her experience to the UNHCR: “If you want anything, you have to go to Damascus, but the cost of travel is too high, and I simply cannot afford it. If you want to see a specialist doctor there, it costs 150,000 Syrian pounds ($11.5) just for the consultation. I do not have that kind of money.”

Access to education is another major challenge. Many children who have returned from neighbouring countries face a disrupted education system, with schools either damaged or under-resourced.

Ibtihal and her family’s youngest son, Omar, for instance, was enrolled in school in Jordan but has yet to resume his studies in Syria due to a lack of available schooling options.

The need for urgent action

International organisations continue to stress the need for increased funding and reconstruction efforts.

 “To make returns sustainable, safe and dignified, and to prevent further displacement in the longer-term, we need a comprehensive approach,” Grandi urged. “This means investing in jobs, restoring healthcare, rebuilding schools, and re-establishing essential services like electricity and clean water.”

As Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, UNHCR’s Representative in Syria, pointed out, “Without an injection of international support, in terms of more humanitarian aid and early recovery and reconstruction activities, refugee returnees will not be able to rebuild their lives in Syria.”

The risk is that hope could turn into frustration, leaving many refugees stranded in their host countries.

The EU's recent decision to lift some sanctions has been framed as a step toward easing Syria’s recovery, but broader concerns remain about the long-term viability of resettlement efforts.

Grandi describes this moment as critical. “Cooperation between neighbouring countries, donors, and the Syrian caretaker authorities is essential to bring much-needed peace and stability to Syria and the entire region.”