Kent charity leader calls for urgent support after thousands of Syrian refugees return to "utter devastation"
One year after the fall of the Assad regime, communities in Syria face enormous challenges with 1 in 3 homes destroyed
A charity leader from Tunbridge Wells has spoken about the devastation in Syria, one year after the fall of the Assad regime, and has called for urgent support to help millions of people rebuild their lives.
Emma Cherniavsky, CEO of UK for UNHCR, the charity partner of the UN Refugee Agency, has been working to support those returning to Syria after 14 years of conflict which claimed the lives of over 600,000 civilians.
Ms Cherniavsky described the immense scale of destruction across the country, where one in three homes is uninhabitable and 90% of the population lives below the poverty line.
“When you cross into Syria, it’s mile after mile of heavily damaged buildings and infrastructure. Home is not the same as when people left,” Ms Cherniavsky explained.
During her recent visit to the country, Ms Cherniavsky travelled to Dara in southwest Syria, the site of the first uprisings in 2011.
Despite severe damage, she witnessed signs of hope: “The town was bustling, with businesses reopening and construction underway. We visited a community centre where women, many now heads of households, were accessing counselling and rebuilding their networks.”
“One woman had two children with disabilities; her daughter was receiving therapy, and her son, who has Down syndrome, had benefitted from support enabling him to attend school. She also accessed a microloan to start a yoga business, becoming the breadwinner for her family after the death of her husband."
Long-term challenges and urgent need for funding
The end of the conflict has enabled UNHCR to pivot its work in Syria from immediate humanitarian aid to long-term rebuilding efforts.
This includes providing transitional cash assistance to families, jobs training, microloans, and community support.
However, Ms Cherniavsky stressed the importance of funding:
“Winter is an incredibly tough time for refugees and returnees. Temperatures plummet, and millions live in inadequate shelter. Support is needed not just in Syria but also in neighbouring countries like Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, where many Syrians remain displaced,” she said.
Greatest Hits and Hits Radio hear about the unique difficulties faced by Syrians returning to their homeland:
“Families are coming back to nothing. Some have lived abroad for years, and their children have never set foot in Syria. For children, it’s a cultural and emotional adjustment. For parents, it’s the challenge of rebuilding homes, finding resources, and creating a new future while rediscovering their own country.”
Despite the challenges, Ms Cherniavsky remains optimistic. “More than a million Syrians have returned home in the past year, with many more expected to follow. This is a rare opportunity to help a country rebuild and enable its people to overcome years of devastation. Syrians are resilient and hardworking—they just need the resources and support to thrive.”
Ms Cherniavsky urged the public to contribute through the charity’s winter appeal, which provides items like blankets, heaters, and survival kits, as well as funds for projects supporting long-term resilience.
Donations can be made at unrefugees.org.uk.