Nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees return home following Assad’s ousting

Since the ousting of Bashar Assad in early December, nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Between December 8 and January 16, approximately 195,200 Syrians made their way back. Grandi announced plans to visit Syria and neighboring countries to bolster UNHCR’s support for returnees and host communities. Prior to Assad’s fall, many Syrians had already returned, fleeing Lebanon amid Israeli-Hezbollah conflicts.