UN chief urges global support for Syria in historic Damascus visit
Poinews.com – The UN chief urges global support for Syria as António Guterres makes his first visit to Damascus since 2009, delivering a powerful message of solidarity to a nation in transition. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s decades-long rule, the UN Secretary-General emphasized that the United Nations stands firmly with the Syrian people during this critical period. Speaking on social media platform X, Guterres stated: “I have just arrived in Damascus for a visit of solidarity. My message is clear: The UN stands with Syria at this pivotal moment and I appeal to the international community to spare no effort to support the people of Syria as well.”
Building institutions amid recovery
Upon arriving in the Syrian capital, Guterres engaged in discussions with Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s interim president, before exploring the historic old quarter and visiting the renowned Umayyad Mosque. This diplomatic mission arrives as Syria continues its recovery from the devastating conflict that erupted in March 2011, claiming the lives of over half a million citizens. The Assad family’s fifty-year grip on power ended in December 2024 when al-Sharaa’s forces captured Damascus, yet the country still grapples with the aftermath of prolonged warfare and severe Western sanctions that have hampered economic progress.
Although the United States and European nations have removed numerous sanctions that constrained Syria under Assad’s regime, these benefits have yet to fully reach ordinary citizens. International observers have encouraged the new Islamist leadership to develop robust governmental structures and create an inclusive political framework that represents Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious communities. During his stay, Guterres will convene with civil society representatives and organizations advocating for women’s rights, while also touring a UN peacekeeping contingent deployed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since 1974.
“What is happening in the region around the Golan Heights is totally unacceptable,” Guterres declared during a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, who demanded an immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal from contested territories.
Israel’s military presence near the Golan Heights has intensified since Assad’s removal, with troops entering the UN-monitored buffer zone and conducting repeated operations deeper into Syrian territory. Israeli authorities have announced plans to maintain a security perimeter in southern Syria while pursuing a larger demilitarized area. Despite ongoing friction, Damascus and Jerusalem have conducted multiple rounds of negotiations and established an intelligence cooperation framework, though Israeli military operations continue unabated.
The human toll of Syria’s crisis remains staggering. According to UN estimates, approximately 1.9 million internally displaced Syrians and 1.7 million refugees have returned home since the Assad regime’s collapse, yet roughly 5.5 million citizens remain displaced within the country and an additional six million live abroad. Economic hardship affects millions, with an estimated 15.6 million people requiring humanitarian aid to meet basic needs. As the UN chief urges global support, the international community faces mounting pressure to deliver meaningful assistance to a nation striving for stability and prosperity after years of turmoil.
