UN Warns of Aid Shortfall and Rising Abductions in Syria

Ibrahim Olabi, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria.

Eleven months after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria continues to grapple with severe instability as the country navigates a turbulent political transition. Rates of displacement have surged, and humanitarian organisations are struggling to support large numbers of refugees returning home.

In recent weeks, the United Nations (UN) has documented numerous cases of enforced disappearances and abductions, calling for stronger accountability measures as the transition unfolds.

The ongoing displacement crisis at Syria’s borders was detailed in the latest regional flash update from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). According to the update, around seven million civilians remain displaced within Syria, while more than 1.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned home — roughly half of them from IDP sites in northern Syria.

As of November 6, UNHCR has recorded approximately 1,208,802 Syrians returning from neighbouring countries since December 8, 2024. Most of these returnees are believed to have come from Türkiye, with about 550,000 Syrians returning over the past year. Another 362,027 have returned from Lebanon, while smaller numbers have come from Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and other countries.

At least 1,476 Syrians have joined the voluntary repatriation programme organised by UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the General Security Office (GSO).

Both internally displaced Syrians and returnees continue to endure harsh living conditions, compounded by severe shortages of humanitarian aid. UNHCR says additional funding is urgently needed to ensure a smooth transition for civilians, citing widespread destruction of homes, a lack of jobs, and limited access to basic services.

Aid operations are increasingly strained, unable to keep up with the growing scale of needs across the country. Winterisation efforts are underway as freezing temperatures are expected to worsen already dire conditions. UNHCR estimates that reduced funding could leave about 750,000 Syrian refugees without winter assistance.

“Humanitarian budgets are stretched to breaking point, and the winter support we can offer will be much less this year,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s Director of External Relations. “Families will have to endure freezing temperatures without things many of us take for granted — a proper roof, insulation, heating, blankets, warm clothes, or medicine.”

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi urged the international community, the private sector, and Syrian communities to “come together and intensify efforts to support recovery” to ensure that returns are dignified and sustainable. “With renewed commitment, the international community can help preserve hope and support stability and durable solutions for one of the largest refugee crises of our time,” he said.

To assist families ahead of the harsh winter, UNHCR has scaled up its winterisation response across Syria, supplying over 17,000 displaced and returnee families with essential non-food items. The agency has distributed winter kits — including blankets, heaters, mattresses, and warm clothing — in Aleppo, Hama, Dar’a, Quneitra, Homs, Qamishli, Sweida, and rural Damascus.

“Our teams are on the ground, determined to protect refugees from the cold, but we are running out of time and resources,” Hyde added. “We need more funding to make lives even slightly more tolerable.”

UNHCR aims to raise at least $35 million to repair damaged homes, insulate shelters, and provide warmth, blankets, and other essentials — particularly for children and the elderly — along with funds for medicines and hot meals.

To meet the most urgent needs, UNHCR has continued distributing support through its Return and Reintegration Financial Assistance programme, providing financial aid to more than 45,000 returnees. Over 24,500 returnees have also been assisted at border crossings with Türkiye and Lebanon this year. The agency and its partners continue to monitor civilian movement and welfare through home visits and referrals to lifesaving services.

Despite these efforts, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has warned of growing insecurity in Syria, citing “worrying reports” of continued enforced disappearances and abductions.

On November 7, OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Keetan told reporters in Geneva that at least 97 people have been abducted since the beginning of the year, adding to more than 100,000 individuals who went missing during the Assad regime’s five-decade rule.

Karla Quintana, Head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP), said, “Everyone in Syria knows someone who has gone missing.” OHCHR also highlighted the case of Hamza Al-Amarin, a Syria Civil Defence volunteer who disappeared in July while assisting with a humanitarian evacuation in Sweida.

OHCHR and its partners have urged strengthened accountability mechanisms and greater protection for humanitarian personnel.

“We stress that all armed actors — whether exercising state power or otherwise — must respect and protect humanitarian workers at all times, as required by international human rights and humanitarian law,” Al-Keetan said. “Accountability and justice for all human rights violations and abuses, past and present, are essential for Syria to build a durable, peaceful, and secure future for all its people.”