UN coordinator says 16.5 million Syrians need aid as returns rise and funding lags

Adam Abdulmullah, the United Nations resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Syria, told reporters in a video teleconference from Damascus that 16.5 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance and that urgent funding shortfalls are limiting relief and recovery efforts.

"Syria stands at a critical turning point," Abdulmullah said, summing up changes since Dec. 8 and urging immediate support to avoid further suffering. He said 14 years of conflict have left widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure and services, and that land mines and explosive remnants of war remain an everyday threat.

Abdulmullah gave updated figures for population movements and needs. He said about 1.2 million people have returned to areas of origin since December 2024, including roughly 885,000 internally displaced persons and 302,000 refugees. He said only about 100,000 of an estimated 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) from northwest Syria have returned, citing lack of services, security risks and missing legal documents. He said UNHCR projects that as many as 3.5 million refugees and IDPs could return if hostilities continue in parts of the country.

The…