Many towns and cities suffered extensive damage during the Syrian civil war. Pictured here, UNICEF goodwill ambassador and Syrian actor Qays Sheikh Najib stands amid rubble and debris in Rural Damascus.
This article is published in association with United Nations.
Humanitarian needs in Syria remain immense despite a year of reduced violence and political change, with millions still displaced, basic services strained and funding shortfalls threatening aid operations, senior UN officials said on Thursday.
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Rosemary DiCarlo, head of UN political affairs, and Joyce Msuya, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, said Syrians have made tangible progress over the past year.
However, the country’s recovery – following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 – remains fragile and uneven, requiring sustained international support.
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Millions returning, millions more in need
One of the clearest signs of change, UN officials said, has been the large-scale return of displaced Syrians. More than two million people displaced inside the country have gone back to their areas of origin, while over 1.3 million refugees have returned from neighbouring countries.
“Two million people displaced within Syria have returned – many after living for years in camps, in precarious conditions,” Ms. Msuya said.
But many returnees are coming back to damaged or destroyed homes, with limited access to electricity, water, healthcare or jobs. Millions more remain displaced, with many families hesitant to return due to the lack of housing and services, especially during the winter months.
As a result, humanitarian assistance remains critical, even as the UN seeks to gradually reduce one of its largest aid operations worldwide.
Aid operations under pressure
Ms. Msuya said the UN has been able to streamline its humanitarian response over the past year, reaching about 3.4 million people per month – 25 per cent more than last year – despite lower funding.
However, she warned that the humanitarian appeal for 2025 is only about 30 per cent funded, forcing difficult prioritisation decisions and leaving millions without assistance.
“With the scale of the needs and the time required for development efforts to take hold, we also need support to sustain and expand humanitarian assistance in the near term,” she said.
She noted that the easing of sanctions by several countries has helped facilitate procurement and financial transactions for aid operations and could support Syria’s longer-term recovery if sustained.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo briefs the Security Council on the situation in Syria.
UN support for Syria: At a glance
- Political transition: The UN continues to support a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political process in line with Security Council resolutions 2254 and 2799.
- Security Council engagement: In December 2025, the Security Council visited Damascus, meeting authorities, civil society and affected communities to show solidarity and bolster prospects of a better future.
- Rights, justice and accountability: UN-appointed rights panels have been supporting investigations and providing technical assistance to address impunity.
- Humanitarian assistance: UN agencies continue to deliver lifesaving food, health, shelter and protection assistance nationwide.
- Returns and recovery: The UN is backing safe, voluntary refugee returns and advocating for the removal of barriers to reconstruction and economic recovery.
For more information, visit our UN News In Focus section on Syria
Political progress, but fragile security
On the political front, Ms. DiCarlo said Syria has taken significant steps, including restoring state institutions, forming a new cabinet, issuing a constitutional declaration and holding indirect legislative elections in October.
Violence levels have declined notably, she said, but warned that inter-communal tensions remain high after years of conflict and repression.
“Tragically, these tensions have boiled over in the past year,” she said, citing deadly violence in coastal areas in March, a terrorist attack on a church in Damascus in June and clashes in Druze-majority Sweida in July that displaced more than 155,000 people.
Israeli airstrikes and incursions in southern Syria have further aggravated the security situation, UN officials said, including a late November operation that killed 13 people and forced families to flee.
Ms. DiCarlo reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call on Israel to respect Syria’s sovereignty and urged all parties to uphold the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.
Justice, reconciliation and the road ahead
Both officials stressed that long-term stability would depend on accountability, reconciliation and inclusive governance.
“The shadows of the past continue to haunt the Syrian people,” Ms. DiCarlo said, calling for a full reckoning with past abuses, including addressing the fate of missing persons and ensuring accountability for grave crimes.
She emphasised that inclusive dialogue – including the meaningful participation of women – alongside sanctions relief and sustained international engagement, will be essential to rebuilding trust, restoring investor confidence and laying the groundwork for reconstruction.
Ms. Msuya echoed that message through the story of Rawaa, a single mother who returned from Türkiye to her village in Hama with her two children, hoping to start a small business.
“We owe it to them to give them that chance,” she said, urging the international community to seize what she described as a rare moment to help Syria turn hope into lasting recovery.
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