Over 1.4M Syrians have gone home since fall of Assad, says UN

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - More than 1.4 million Syrians have returned home since the fall of the Bashar Assad regime last December, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said Thursday.

The UNHCR said on X that for the Syrians who have returned to their homes, "hope is real, but rebuilding isn’t easy.”

Some of those returning have been displaced since the country’s civil war broke out in 2011.

The UN agency called for international support to help Syrian families start anew.

"They need support rebuilding homes and infrastructure, landmine safety awareness, legal assistance and mental health support," it added.

During the civil war, Türkiye hosted some 4 million Syrians, more than any other country in the world.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8. The collapse of his government also ended the reign of the Baath Party, which began in 1963.

On Jan. 29, Ahmed al-Sharaa was appointed the country’s president.