UNHCR calls for more intl. support to accelerate Syria refugee returns
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UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi urges international aid for Syria's reconstruction to enable sustainable refugee returns, as over two million have already returned following former President al-Assad's fall.
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U.N. refugee agency ( UNHCR ) chief Filippo Grandi talks to the Associated Press in Damascus, Syria, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has called for increased international aid to support Syria's recovery and facilitate the return of millions of displaced Syrians. Speaking in Damascus on Friday, Grandi emphasized that global assistance is vital to rebuilding the country and enabling sustainable refugee returns after over 14 years of conflict.
"I am here also to really make an appeal to the international community to provide more help, more assistance to the Syrian government in this big challenge of recovery of the country," Grandi told reporters.
Grandi noted that more than two million displaced Syrians have returned to their areas of origin. This figure includes around 1.5 million internally displaced persons and approximately 600,000 refugees who have returned from neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey.
"Two million, of course, is only a fraction of the very big number of Syrian refugees and displaced, but it is a very big figure," he added.
Despite these returns, the widespread destruction of infrastructure and essential services continues to pose major challenges. Grandi stressed that housing, employment, electricity, and healthcare, and their lack thereof, are critical factors hindering large-scale voluntary returns.
UN focus on sustainable, voluntary returns
Following the December overthrow of al-Assad, the UN is prioritizing sustainability in return efforts. Grandi said he discussed these issues with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, underlining the importance of ensuring that returning Syrians have access to basic needs and do not face re-displacement.
He said the UNHCR is working closely with Syrian authorities and regional governments to help displaced populations go back under dignified and voluntary conditions.
Grandi also emphasized the need to encourage donors to increase funding for Syria’s reconstruction. With Western sanctions recently lifted, the Syrian government is seeking international backing to launch large-scale rebuilding efforts. The UN estimates the cost of reconstruction could exceed $400 billion.
"Sustainable returns can only happen if there is recovery, reconstruction in Syria, not just for the returnees, for all Syrians," Grandi said.
Reviving Syria's financial sector
Meanwhile, international measures remain underway to revitalize Syria, particularly its financial sector. Yesterday, the Swiss government announced that it will lift a set of economic sanctions on Syria, including those imposed on the Syrian Central Bank.
Switzerland also stated that sanctions against individuals and entities tied to Syria’s former government will stay in effect, explaining that "this move is intended to foster economic recovery and ensure a smooth, inclusive political transition in Syria."
The Swiss government stated in a release that 24 entities, including the Syrian Central Bank, have now been removed from the sanctions list. It also noted that restrictions on certain financial services, trade in precious metals, and luxury goods exports have been lifted, following an initial easing of sanctions back in March of this year.
On June 19, Reuters reported that Syria carried out its first international bank transaction through the SWIFT system since the war began 14 years ago; a milestone in restoring the country’s financial connections to the global economy. Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husriyeh confirmed that the transaction, a direct commercial transfer from a Syrian bank to an Italian bank, was executed on Sunday.
Read more: UN hails Syria sanctions relief as ‘historic’ shift
