Geneva, Aug. 13 (SANA)Around 1.72 million Syrians have returned to the country, according to updated data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as the growing pace of returns brings renewed focus on housing, livelihoods and access to basic services.

UNHCR data showed that 1,717,964 Syrians had returned to the country. The agency said the figure covers people whose return it was able to verify or monitor and therefore does not necessarily represent the total number ofreturnees.

Most recorded returns were concentrated in Damascus, Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus Countryside, Homs, Hama and Daraa, which together received the vast majority of returnees monitored by the agency.

For many families, returning home is only the beginning of a longer process of rebuilding their lives, with challenges ranging from securing housing and restoring sources of income to accessing basic services, resolving documentation and legal issues and reintegrating into their communities.

UNHCR said its support for returnees focuses on reintegration, helping families move beyond the initial return phase toward self-reliance and more stable lives.

The agency is working with development partners as well as national and local authorities to support repairs to damaged homes, infrastructure and essential services.

Assistance also includes legal support and programs aimed at improving housing and livelihood opportunities for returnees.

Such efforts have become increasingly important as returns grow, with families requiring conditions that allow them to settle in their communities, restore their livelihoods and meet the basic needs of their children and other family members.

Alongside returns from abroad, UNHCR data showed that about 1.97 million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their areas of origin, reflecting a broader movement of people returning home across the country.

Humanitarian needs, however, remain significant. UNHCR data showed that more than 5.5 million people remained internally displaced, based on figures from August 2025, while about 15.6 million people were in need of assistance according to the latest humanitarian needs data available to the agency.

UNHCR published its second-quarter 2026 report on protection and reintegration inSyriaon Aug. 4, followed by a comprehensive report on Syrian returnees on Aug. 6.

The figures underscore that return is measured not only by the number of people arriving home, but also by their ability to rebuild safe and stable lives, regain access to employment, education and services, and establish a sustainable future for their families.