Amman, May 5, 2026 (SANA) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan said more than 190,000 registered Syrian refugees have returned to Syria since Dec. 8, 2024, following the fall of the ousted regime. More than 16,000 returns have been recorded since the start of 2026.
UNHCR spokesperson in Jordan Yousef Taha told Al-Mamlaka TV that monthly returns stood at 4,500 in January, 3,900 in February, 3,400 in March and 4,000 in April. Families accounted for 58% of returnees, while individuals made up 42%.
Around 46,000 returnees, or 24% of the total, came from Zaatari and Azraq camps. Approximately 81,000 Syrians remain in the camps, including 48,000 in Zaatari and 33,000 in Azraq.
Taha noted that 76% of returnees had been living in urban areas, mainly in Amman, Irbid, Mafraq and Zarqa. Key destinations inside Syria include Daraa, Homs, Damascus countryside, Damascus and Hama.
Some 6,500 refugees received cash assistance to facilitate return, while about 10,000 buses operated across 280 trips under voluntary return programs. Assistance amounts to $300 per family and 70 Jordanian dinars per individual, prioritizing vulnerable and large households.
UNHCR funding for operations in Jordan totals $65 million, covering just 23.2% of needs and leaving a $215 million shortfall.
Before these developments, roughly 700,000 Syrian refugees were registered in Jordan, with the total number exceeding 1.3 million including unregistered individuals.
Security and political expert Ahmed Bani Hamdan said Syria is advancing a vision focused on reconstruction, stability and reintegration into the international community, with support from Arab and international partners.
Returns from neighboring countries have accelerated since December 2024. Earlier this year, UNHCR spokesperson in Syria Celine Schmitt said more refugees were willing to return, noting that 1.4 million refugees and nearly two million internally displaced persons have gone back to their areas of origin.
UNHCR data shows 419,950 refugees are currently registered in Jordan, including about 396,640 Syrians (94.4%).
M.F / ABD
