LONDON: As renewed conflict in Lebanon forces a fresh wave of Syrian refugees to return to their home country, joining the roughly 3.5 million people who have gone back to their towns and villages since December 2024, many are finding a health system that is still a long way from recovery.
Many are returning with chronic illnesses, untreated trauma and life-changing injuries, only to encounter hospitals and clinics still crippled by years of war. Now, a new Relief International study has found that the arrival of returnees is far outpacing medical capacity.
Calling for “urgent, coordinated action” to rebuild Syria’s health system after 14 years of civil war, the international nonprofit said in a May 11 statement that “amid the influx of families returning home, patients are unable to access the care they need.”
As Syrian hospitals strain under mounting pressure, many patients with chronic illnesses lack access to proper testing. (AFP)
Since Bashar Assad fled the country in late 2024 after a rebel offensive led by now-interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees and 1.9 million internally displaced people have returned as of December last year, according to UN figures.
