Published on: 2026-04-03
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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More than 1.6 million people have returned to Syria over the past year, fleeing the long-standing war. Due to the mass return, the demand for housing, government services, and jobs has increased sharply. This was stated by the UN Development Program (UNDP) Administrator Alexander De Croo, speaking in Damascus at a joint press conference with the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher.
According to him, Syria is now at a ‘turning point.’ If people are not provided with normal living conditions, many may refuse to return, the head of the PRB warned.
De Kroo also stated that the consequences of the crisis in Iran “effectively nullify the progress made.” He recalled a UNDP assessment, according to which the crisis surrounding Iran could set back the region’s development by about one and a half years, with economic losses exceeding 190 billion dollars, and more than four million people falling below the poverty line.
De Croo called on the international community to increase support for Syria, emphasizing that this country could become a “success story” with the necessary assistance.
For his part, Tom Fletcher stated that the Humanitarian Plan for Syria for 2026 provides for the transition from emergency aid to support in the areas of development and long-term recovery, including infrastructure projects, strengthening socio-economic resilience, as well as demining territories.
Fletcher reported that only in the last three weeks, 200 thousand people arrived from Lebanon to Syria. Most of them are Syrians. However, about 25 thousand of the arrivals are Lebanese fleeing the hostilities in Lebanon, as well as Palestinians. “Many of these people have already been forced to leave their homes several times,” noted the UN representative. “And the Syrian authorities are trying to create conditions that would allow closing the camps for the displaced; we are dealing with significant numbers [of the new wave of refugees].”
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