World Refugee Day 2026: Return Does Not Equal Recovery For Children In Ukraine And Syria, Warns World Vision
19 June 2026 – As the international community marks World Refugee Day, World Vision Middle East and Eastern Europe (WV MEER) is calling for greater investment in children and families rebuilding their lives after displacement, warning that return alone does not guarantee recovery.
World Vision MEER's latest policy brief entitled “Beyond Return: Child and Family Wellbeing among Refugee and IDP Returnees in Ukraine and Syria,” reveals that while many families are returning home with hopes of safety, stability and a better future, children continue to face significant challenges affecting their wellbeing, protection, education and future opportunities.
Drawing on research with caregivers and young people who have returned to their communities in Ukraine and Syria, the study highlights a stark reality: for many children and young people, the journey does not end when they return home. Instead, they are attempting to rebuild their lives in communities still grappling with conflict, damaged infrastructure, economic hardship and limited access to essential services.
The research also highlights the often-overlooked role of women in sustaining family recovery after return. Many women, particularly those heading households, described carrying the responsibility of securing food, caring for children, supporting their emotional wellbeing and helping families adapt to difficult living conditions despite facing significant economic and psychosocial pressures themselves.
Key findings:
- Families in both Ukraine and Syria are returning primarily to reunite with loved ones and rebuild their lives, but many are returning to communities still affected by conflict, insecurity and damaged infrastructure.
- In Ukraine, children continue to live with the threat of missile and drone attacks, while many families struggle with rising living costs despite access to basic services.
- In Syria, returnee families are facing severe shortages of food, healthcare, education and essential services, with many children showing signs of malnutrition and psychological distress.
- Women are carrying a disproportionate share of the burden of return, often managing household survival, supporting children's emotional wellbeing and coping with severe economic pressures, particularly in Syria.
- Young people consistently highlighted the importance of friendships, belonging, education, safety and opportunities to participate in community life as critical to their wellbeing after return.
Eleanor Monbiot, Regional Leader at World Vision Middle East and Eastern Europe said:
“This World Refugee Day, our research sends a clear message: returning home does not automatically mean children are safe, supported or able to thrive.
"Many families are returning because they want to reunite with loved ones, reclaim a sense of home and build a better future for their children. Yet too often they are returning to communities where schools, health facilities and livelihoods remain under immense strain. Return should be a pathway to recovery and hope for children, not the beginning of a new chapter of hardship."
As return movements continue, WV MEER is calling on donors, governments, UN agencies and humanitarian partners to invest in the conditions that make return safe, dignified and sustainable. This includes increasing flexible, multi-year funding; strengthening access to education, healthcare, child protection and mental health services; supporting livelihoods and local systems; and ensuring that the voices and best interests of children remain at the centre of all return and reintegration efforts.
Full study is available here.
Ukraine fact sheet is available here.
Syria fact sheet is available here.
Notes to editor:
World Vision has been supporting children and families affected by conflict and displacement in Syria and Ukraine for more than a decade. In Syria, World Vision reached over 4.2 million people, including 2.53 million children, in FY2025 through programmes focused on health and nutrition, education, child protection, mental health and psychosocial support, water and sanitation, livelihoods and food security. In Ukraine, World Vision has supported more than 2.3 million people, including over one million children, since 2022, providing cash assistance, education, child protection, mental health support, livelihoods and winterisation assistance. Across both contexts, World Vision works alongside local partners to help children and families meet immediate needs while supporting longer-term recovery, resilience and sustainable reintegration.
For more information please contact:
Laurentia Jora, Advocacy and Communications Manager currently deployed to WV MEER: laurentia_jora@wvi.org
Alexis Peristianis, Communications and Social Media Specialist at WV MEER: alexis_peristianis@wvi.org