Joyce Musuea says Syria’s recovery hinges on diplomacy and funding as returnees climb

Joyce Musuea urged renewed diplomatic effort and a step‑up in financing for Syria’s recovery, saying recent returns offer a window to reduce humanitarian needs but that the country still faces "immense opportunities and complex challenges." Musuea said more than 1.3 million people have returned from neighboring countries but many are coming back to damaged or destroyed homes with limited services and jobs and will continue to rely on aid in the near term.

Musuea framed two central objectives: reducing the level of humanitarian need and shrinking the scale of the humanitarian operation. She called for "attentive diplomacy to deescalate and resolve ongoing flashpoints and to prevent new fighting," noting that while "levels of violence have reduced dramatically," sporadic hostilities and recent incidents…