Overview of Developments • In the opening statement at the 75th Plenary Session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme in Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, made reference to the UN funding appeal (USD 324M) that was recently launched in Damascus for Syrian returnees and Lebanese refugees in need of “immediate relief”, urging the Government of Syria to ensure the safety and security of all returnees and calling on donors to support “significant interventions not only in the humanitarian sphere, but also in the early recovery space”, thereby contributing towards sustainable solutions for Syrian refugees. • On 15 October 2024, the USD 100 exchange requirement at border crossings briefly resumed in the morning but was lifted again in the afternoon following a decision by the council of Ministers to apply the waiver until the end of the calendar month. • The Syria Department of Education estimated that 1,450 students who had recently arrived had now be