UN chief Guterres urges end to bloodshed in Syria

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro receives UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
FILE PHOTO: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends a joint statement with Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro (not pictured), in Sao Bento Palace, Lisbon, Portugal, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo
Source: REUTERS

There is an urgent need for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need in Syria and a return to a U.N.-facilitated political process to end the bloodshed, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.

He urged "all those with influence to do their part for the long-suffering people" of Syria and said all parties are obligated to protect civilians.

"Tens of thousands of civilians are at risk in a region already on fire," Guterres told reporters.

"We are seeing the bitter fruits of a chronic collective failure of previous de-escalation arrangements to produce a genuine nationwide ceasefire or a serious political process to implement Security Council resolutions," he said.

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Syrian rebels captured the city of Hama on Thursday, a major victory in a week-old lightning advance across northern Syria and a devastating new blow to President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.