UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Monday that the long-cherished dream of Syrian refugees returning to their homeland is finally becoming a reality.
Speaking at the 76th annual session of the Executive Committee of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Geneva, Grandi said that nearly half of Syria’s population had been forced to flee their homes over the past decade. Yet, for more than one million Syrian refugees who have now returned, that dream has started to come true, he noted, according to the UN News website.
“Syrian returnees carry hope and determination,” Grandi said. “They deserve to feel safe again in their own country.” He emphasized that their return must be made sustainable through faster and bolder investment efforts to help rebuild their lives and communities.
The High Commissioner also warned of the growing impact of shrinking humanitarian budgets amid an increasing number of crises around the world. He urged the international community to adopt a more comprehensive and durable approach to humanitarian response.
Grandi revealed that the number of people displaced by war worldwide has nearly doubled since 2015, reaching about 122 million.
Amer Dhawa