UN human rights office sending back team to Syria soon: Details inside

The United Nations human rights office plans to send a small team of its officers to Syria for the first time in years after the ouster of long-time President Bashar al-Assad, a UN spokesperson told a press briefing on Friday.

Under the former leader, the UN human rights team had not been able to enter Syria for a long time and has been monitoring abuses in the country remotely. The spokesperson said the team is going to help ensure any transition pays attention to international rules.

Resilience
Joy
Hope

After 14 years of war and displacement, the people of #Syria are on a new journey, one filled with promise. They need our full support to rebuild their lives and their communities. pic.twitter.com/JVChX1oY6e

— Amy Pope (@IOMchief) December 17, 2024

Is Syria ready to absorb all the people displaced?

Earlier on Friday, the head of the UN migration agency raised concerns about large-scale returns of refugees to Syria overburdening the country’s fragile infrastructure. The communities are just not ready to absorb all the people displaced.

The UN has estimated that one million people are going to return to Syria in the first six months of 2025. Syrian rebels seized control of the capital Damascus on December 8, forcing the long-time President Bashar al-Assad to flee after more than 13 years of internal conflict.