Nearly 200,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their home country since December last year, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Saturday.

As of Jan. 16, about 195,200 Syrians have returned home since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government on Dec. 8, 2024, according to figures posted by Grandi on social media platform X.

He also announced plans to visit Syria and neighboring countries soon to strengthen the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, for returnees and host communities, though the timeline remains unspecified.

Meanwhile, according to the post, the UNHCR estimates more than 550,000 Syrians returned to their home country in 2024, with the northern Aleppo governorate receiving the largest share -- about 23 percent of the returnees.

While many Syrian refugees have shown interest in returning, a UNHCR report released on Friday noted mixed sentiments, as some refugees remain cautious. Many of them have emphasized the need for financial and logistical assistance to be able to return and rebuild their lives and homes inside Syria.

In response, the UNHCR and its partner organizations advance an inter-agency plan to facilitate refugee returns, according to the report. The agency also underscored the importance of sustained funding and protection programs for both refugees and host communities. 

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