Millions of Syrians are returning home to communities lacking water, electricity and other essential services, new IRC research finds

Damascus, Syria, July 6, 2026 - More than 3.5 million Syrians have returned home since the fall of the Assad-led government in December 2024, representing one of the largest ongoing return movements in the world today. A new IRC report, Home, but Not Whole: The Fragile Return and Reintegration of Syrian Returnees, finds that the systems meant to support them are not keeping pace, leaving returnees to rebuild in communities without adequate water, electricity, functioning schools or health services.

The report, which draws from survey data, group discussions and expert interviews across seven governorates, found that nearly all returnees - 9 out of 10 - arrived to find essential services missing. Some 71% are living in damaged housing with little organized support to repair or rebuild. Only 18% reported having adequate support during the return journey itself, and 44% found conditions upon arrival worse than they had anticipated. The research also found that many returns were not truly voluntary. For a significant share of those who came back, the decision was driven by deteriorating conditions in displacement, eroding legal status in host countries and, in the case of Lebanon in early 2026, active conflict.

"This moment presents a historic window of opportunity that should not be missed.", said Eatizaz Yousif, IRC Syria Country Director. "After years of displacement, many Syrians are looking toward their homeland with renewed hope and a desire to return and rebuild. While challenges remain, this aspiration reflects remarkable resilience and a strong commitment to Syria's future. Investing now in conditions for safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return is not only a humanitarian imperative, it is an opportunity to harness the energy, skills, and determination of millions of Syrians eager to play a central role in rebuilding their country and shaping a more prosperous future and should not be missed."

The research documents how service gaps do not only fail to meet basic needs; they actively generate the conditions for social tension. Where resources run short, competition follows. The IRC's assessment found that the most consistently documented tension among communities was not identity-based division, but visible disparity in aid distribution. Tensions are resource-based, and they are growing.

"We see returnees as our competitors-even for our children's seats in schools," said a community member from Tal Kalakh, rural Homs. Relationships have become more physical than emotional. In the past, return meant joys and blessings. Today, return means asking: 'What did they bring with them? Will they compete with us for the diesel ration?'"

The IRC calls on the Syrian government, international donors, host states, and humanitarian and development actors to act urgently on five priorities:

• Invest in area-based service delivery - water, electricity, schools and roads - that reaches entire communities, not just returnees, to reduce competition and build social cohesion.
• Fund humanitarian, development and peacebuilding programs in tandem. Syria's recovery cannot be sequenced, communities need emergency assistance, longer-term investment and social repair at the same time. Donors must move beyond siloed funding streams and support integrated programs that address immediate needs while building the conditions for stability.
• Maintain durable solutions, including resettlement, for those who cannot yet safely return. Host states must fully respect the principle of non-refoulement and avoid any erosion of legal status or access to essential services that could undermine genuine, voluntary, and informed return decisions.
• Provide flexible, multi-year core funding to local civil society and women-led organizations. Local organizations are indispensable to Syria's recovery, but they cannot shoulder this responsibility without sustained donor investment. Predictable, flexible core funding-not short-term, project-based grants-is essential to strengthen locally led responses and support long-term recovery.
• Establish dedicated funding streams for MHPSS, social cohesion, and peacebuilding. Despite being consistently identified as critical priorities across all seven governorates, these areas remain significantly underfunded in current portfolios.

IRC in Syria

Since 2012, the IRC has delivered critical, lifesaving support to Syrians, impacted by conflict and crisis. Our response is delivered directly and through local partner organizations, with a focus on health, protection, early childhood development, and economic recovery. IRC is responding throughout Syria in Homs, Idlib, Dar'a, As-Swieda, Aleppo, Damascus, Rural Hama, Raqq'a, Hassakeh and Deir ez-Zor. Through integrated, community-based approaches, we reached over 1.1 million people in 2025, prioritizing the most underserved districts across Syria.

Note to Editors

Photographs, B-roll footage, and case studies documenting the experiences of returnees in Syria are available for editorial use upon request.