Geneva, Switzerland - The United Nations reported a slight decrease in global forced displacement by the end of April 2025, a trend influenced by the return of Syrians to their homes.
This shift follows the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, with an estimated 500,000 Syrians returning home five months later. Approximately 1.2 million internally displaced persons have returned to their homes since the end of November.
The High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, emphasized the volatility in international relations and the urgent need for peace and sustainable solutions for refugees. The ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine remain significant drivers of displacement.
The UN estimates that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced persons could return to their homes by the end of 2025. The situation in Sudan, where civil war has been raging since mid-April 2023, has resulted in the highest number of forced displacements, with 14.3 million people displaced.
The UN and other humanitarian organizations face a significant liquidity crisis, with major donors like the United States often falling short. In 2024, 9.8 million forcibly displaced people returned home, including 1.6 million refugees, the highest number in over twenty years.