Geneva, March 15 — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for urgent measures to ensure accountability and an inclusive political transition in Syria, as the country’s civil war reaches its 14th year.
“This month marks 14 years since the Syrian people stood up in peaceful protest for their universal rights and freedoms, only to be met with brutal repression,” Guterres said in a statement.
He described the conflict as one of the world’s most devastating, with “hundreds of thousands killed, disappeared, tortured, and dying horrific deaths.”
The war, he noted, saw the use of chemical weapons and barrel bombs that indiscriminately targeted civilians.
Guterres also pointed to the widespread destruction of critical infrastructure.
“The carpet bombing of hospitals, schools, and homes erased any semblance of normal life,” he said, while praising Syrians for their “steadfast and courageous calls for freedom, dignity, and a just future.”
Referencing the ousting of the Assad regime on December 8, he said there is now “renewed hope that Syrians can chart a different course, rebuild, reconcile, and create a nation where all can live peacefully and in dignity.”
However, he cautioned that this opportunity remains fragile and urged an end to escalating violence.
