About 1 million refugees have returned to Syria and another 1.8 million internally displaced people have gone back to their home regions since the overthrow of Bashar Assad nine months ago, the U.N. refugee agency said Wednesday.
The UNHCR warned that returnees face destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure, limited job opportunities and an unstable security situation.
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called on the international community, private sector and Syrians abroad to step up support for the country's reconstruction.
"This is a rare opportunity to resolve one of the largest displacement crises in the world," Grandi said.
According to the UNHCR, more than 7 million people remain internally displaced in Syria, while over 4.5 million continue to live abroad as refugees. Survey data show that the vast majority of Syrian refugees hosted by Arab countries hope to return home.
Syria, home to roughly 23 million people, is now led by a transitional government headed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Al-Sharaa was the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the anti-regime alliance that ultimately overthrew Assad in December of last year after a yearslong civil war.
