UN Reports Over 200,000 Syrian Refugees Return from Lebanon
Following the fall of President Assad, more than 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland from neighboring Lebanon.
More than 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland from neighboring Lebanon this year following the fall of longtime ruler Bashar Assad, a United Nations official told AFP. The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad’s brutal repression of anti-government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad.
However, the December 8 ouster of the former Syrian president at the hands of Islamist forces sparked hopes of return.
Lebanese authorities recently introduced a plan offering $100 in aid and exemptions from fines for refugees leaving the country, provided they pledge not to return as asylum seekers.
The UNHCR support for returnees includes small-scale housing repairs, cash assistance, and core relief items, though more intensive reconstruction is beyond the agency’s capacity.
About 80 percent of Syrian housing was damaged during the civil war, with one in three families needing housing support.
The majority of Syrians who fled the 14-year civil war to Lebanon remain there, with needs remaining high as humanitarian aid decreases.
According to the UN, over two million Syrian refugees and internally displaced people returned to their areas of origin since the Islamist-led offensive toppled Assad.
However, around 13.5 million Syrians remain displaced internally or abroad.
The new authorities are dealing with a devastated economy and destroyed infrastructure, with the majority of citizens living below the poverty line, according to the UN.
However, the December 8 ouster of the former Syrian president at the hands of Islamist forces sparked hopes of return.
Lebanese authorities recently introduced a plan offering $100 in aid and exemptions from fines for refugees leaving the country, provided they pledge not to return as asylum seekers.
The UNHCR support for returnees includes small-scale housing repairs, cash assistance, and core relief items, though more intensive reconstruction is beyond the agency’s capacity.
About 80 percent of Syrian housing was damaged during the civil war, with one in three families needing housing support.
The majority of Syrians who fled the 14-year civil war to Lebanon remain there, with needs remaining high as humanitarian aid decreases.
According to the UN, over two million Syrian refugees and internally displaced people returned to their areas of origin since the Islamist-led offensive toppled Assad.
However, around 13.5 million Syrians remain displaced internally or abroad.
The new authorities are dealing with a devastated economy and destroyed infrastructure, with the majority of citizens living below the poverty line, according to the UN.
