Syria: More than a million refugees have returned to the country, but everything remains to be rebuilt.
"A lot is happening in Syria right now: it's a key moment for the country's future. The new government, after the regime change, is trying to achieve stability and recognition both nationally and internationally. More than a million people have returned to Syria after being refugees, and nearly 700,000 are newly internally displaced," says Andrea Sparro , country representative for the humanitarian organization WeWorld in Syria.
Sparro recounts the reality of a country in need of reconstruction , where the crisis of the last 14 years has left deep wounds and where, today, more than a million refugees and displaced people are returning, worsening an already profound humanitarian crisis. In recent months, both the United States and the European Union have announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria: a step that opens the possibility of development funds—until now absent—and will allow us to continue participating in the country's reconstruction. However, both the country's stability and recovery are compromised by the ongoing attacks on ethnic and religious minorities, such as those in Suweyda in recent weeks. Until these continue, Syria's future remains uncertain.
"Our hope is that this government will be able to foster the social cohesion necessary for the reconstruction and rebirth of this destroyed country," concludes Sparro .
WeWorld has been present in Syria since 2011 , before the crisis began, with three offices: Damascus, Aleppo, and Deir-ez-Zor. In 2024, it began operating in Raqqa governorate . The NGO's work focuses on emergency education, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) , and, more recently, early recovery and livelihoods.
In recent years, the main areas of intervention have shifted from urban to rural areas , particularly the most remote and isolated communities, where the effects of the crisis and destruction have been greatest. Very few services and employment opportunities are available in these areas, and the gradual return of families who fled their homes during the conflict risks placing further pressure on already limited access to basic services.
- Tags:
- Cooperation
- Middle East
- NGO
- Syria
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