More than 200,000 people have crossed into Syria from Lebanon through the three official border crossings following the ongoing military escalation in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.
Syrians make up the overwhelming majority of those arrivals, numbering around 180,000 people, including Syrian refugees who had previously fled Syria in search of safety in Lebanon and are now being forced to flee once again, as well as Syrians who had long considered returning home, according to a statement published by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
More than 28,000 Lebanese have also crossed into Syria, most of them fleeing intense Israeli bombardment, the statement added. In the statement published today, Tuesday, March 31, UNHCR said the new arrivals were exhausted and traumatized, with little more than a few belongings.”
Most crossings were concentrated at the Masnaa-Jdeidet Yabous crossing, on the Syrian-Lebanese border west of Damascus, and the al-Qaa-Jousieh crossing, in Homs province, both of which operate around the clock. The al-Arida crossing, in Tartous province on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, was reopened on March 7, but it remains limited to pedestrians only because one of the bridges was damaged.
Arrival numbers peaked in early March, especially among families coming from Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon.
According to UNHCR, the most urgent needs of those arriving in Syria from Lebanon include food, shelter, healthcare, livelihoods, and assistance with civil documents.
The agency said it had rapidly strengthened its presence at the border in cooperation with the Syrian authorities to ensure timely protection services and assistance.
Its teams are also working in field locations with the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to reach arriving families and meet urgent needs in areas receiving large numbers of returnees, including Aleppo, Raqqa, Rural Damascus, Idlib, Deir Ezzor, Daraa, and Homs.
UNHCR is providing legal assistance to hundreds of families in need of civil documents such as birth or marriage certificates. It is also distributing basic relief items, including blankets, plastic sheets, hygiene kits, and baby supplies, and has arranged transportation for more than 3,500 people to help them reach their final destinations.
The agency added that it is also improving border infrastructure, including by installing solar-powered lighting poles to enhance safety at crossing points.
Beyond the border areas, it said it is helping assess needs, register families for services, provide psychological first aid and mental health support, and refer people to legal, medical, educational, and child protection services.
It also said that more than 20,000 returnees across different Syrian governorates have received support, with assistance directed to those most in need.
UNHCR said it will continue scaling up assistance and protection as needs grow, working closely with authorities and partners to support returnees going back to their homes under difficult conditions. It also noted that funding for its operations in Syria currently covers no more than 30% of the total 2026 requirement of nearly $324 million.
Previous figures
On March 25, the International Organization for Migration said that 130,000 Syrians had returned from Lebanon since military operations began on March 2.
UNICEF, for its part, said that around 90,000 Syrians had returned to Syria since the conflict broke out, up to March 23, alongside thousands of Lebanese nationals.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban had called on the international community to take three immediate steps:
- a ceasefire and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,
- safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access,
- urgent financial support to sustain the response.
The United Nations also said in a report issued on February 13 that 500,000 out of the 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon had returned since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024.
Measures to facilitate Syrians’ return
Syria’s General Authority for Land and Sea Ports announced the reopening of the al-Arida border crossing with Lebanon starting March 8 for pedestrian traffic only, and in one direction from Lebanon into Syria, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Tartous.
The authority said the measure came in response to demands from Syrians living in Lebanon who wish to return to Syria, and out of concern for easing their suffering and facilitating return procedures.
The crossing is subject to a ban on transporting household furniture, according to the authority, because the bridge leading to the crossing still requires maintenance and rehabilitation before it can fully reopen to vehicle traffic.
It added that its staff are fully prepared to provide all necessary facilities for returnees and organize entry procedures in a way that ensures quick processing and public safety.
The authority also said it is working in parallel to rehabilitate the Jisr Qamar and al-Dabousieh crossings in preparation for reopening them as soon as possible, which would help ease pressure on the currently operating crossings and improve the flow of movement.
Lebanese authorities announced on Monday, March 30, an extension of additional facilitation measures for Syrians and Palestinian refugees in Syria to depart Lebanon through land border crossings without paying fees and without entry ban notices being issued against them, until June 30, 2026.
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