United Nations officials told the Security Council on Tuesday that Syria has reached a critical turning point toward national recovery, but continued regional instability and funding shortfalls risk reversing gains, Anadolu reports.
“Syria stands at a pivotal moment,” said Edem Wosornu, director of the Crisis Response Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. She reported that since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, approximately 1.7 million refugees and 1.9 million internally displaced persons have returned to their communities. Wosornu warned, however, that the returns will not be sustainable without addressing massive deficits in housing, infrastructure and access to basic services.
– Israeli incursions, regional risks
Wosornu identified Israeli military activity in southern Syria as a primary threat to national stability. She noted that repeated incursions and movement restrictions are complicating humanitarian operations in areas where 80% of the population requires assistance. “Any escalation in the wider region could quickly trigger new humanitarian needs, including displacement, economic disruption, [and] supply chain shocks,” she cautioned.
