However, the country’s recovery – following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 – remains fragile and uneven, and requires sustained international support.
Millions return, millions more need help
One of the clearest signs of change, U.N. officials said, has been the large-scale return of displaced Syrians. More than two million internally displaced people have returned to their areas of origin, while more than 1.3 million refugees have returned from neighboring countries.
“Two million people displaced inside Syria have returned, many of them after years of living in camps, in precarious conditions,”Ms Msuya said.
But many returnees return to damaged or destroyed homes, with limited access to electricity, water, healthcare or employment. Millions more remain displaced and many families are hesitant to return due to a lack of housing and services, especially during the winter months.
As a result, humanitarian assistance remains critical, even as the UN seeks to gradually scale down one of its largest aid operations around the world.
Aid operations under pressure
Msuya said the UN has been able to streamline its humanitarian response over the past year, reaching around 3.4 million people per month (up 25 percent from last year) despite lower funding.
However, he warned that the 2025 humanitarian appeal is only 30 percent funded, forcing difficult prioritization decisions and leaving millions of people without assistance.
“Given the magnitude of the needs and the time required for development efforts to consolidate, we also need support to sustain and expand humanitarian assistance in the short term.” she said.
He noted that the easing of sanctions by several countries has helped facilitate procurement and financial transactions for aid operations and could support Syria’s long-term recovery if sustained.
Under Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo briefs the Security Council on the situation in Syria.
Political progress, but fragile security
On the political front, DiCarlo said Syria has taken important steps, including restoring state institutions, forming a new cabinet, issuing a constitutional declaration and holding indirect legislative elections in October.
Levels of violence have decreased significantly, he said, but warned that tensions between communities remain high after years of conflict and repression.
“Tragically, these Tensions have boiled over over the past year,” he said, citing deadly violence in coastal areas in March, a terrorist attack on a church in Damascus in June and clashes in Druze-majority Sweida in July, which displaced more than 155,000 people.
Israeli airstrikes and incursions into southern Syria have further aggravated the security situation, U.N. officials said, including an operation in late November that killed 13 people and forced families to flee.
Ms. DiCarlo reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call for Israel to respect Syria’s sovereignty and urged all parties to respect the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement.
Justice, reconciliation and the road ahead
Both officials emphasized that long-term stability would depend on accountability, reconciliation and inclusive governance.
“The shadows of the past continue to haunt the Syrian people,” Ms. DiCarlo said, calling for a full reckoning with past abuses, including addressing the fate of missing people and ensuring accountability for serious crimes.
He stressed that inclusive dialogue – including meaningful participation of women – along with sanctions relief and sustained international engagement, will be essential to rebuild trust, restore investor confidence and lay the foundation for reconstruction.
Ms. Msuya echoed that message through the story of Rawaa, a single mother who returned from Türkiye to her village in Hama with her two children, hoping to start a small business.
“We owe it to them to give them that opportunity,” he said, urging the international community to seize what he described as an exceptional moment to help Syria turn hope into lasting recovery.