One million Syrian refugees have returned to their homeland

The UN refugee agency says one million Syrian refugees have returned home from abroad since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, and the agency has called for increased funding to help those returning home.

In addition, the agency reported that in the past nine months, another 1.8 million people displaced within the country due to the nearly 14-year civil war have returned to their cities and villages.

However, the returnees face "significant difficulties," the report said, as their once-abandoned homes are in a dilapidated state, utilities are lacking, jobs are scarce, and the security situation remains unstable.

The agency hopes that, based on available data, 80 percent of refugees will return home within the next year.