UN chief urges global support for Syria as it recovers from civil war

In a landmark visit to Damascus, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday appealed to the international community to support the people of Syria.

It is the first by a UN chief to the Syrian capital since 2009 and comes as the country is trying to recover from a more than decade-long conflict.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians were killed and millions displaced in the civil war that ended when rebels ousted president Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

They were led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was appointed interim president in January 2025 to oversee state reconstruction and the dissolution of separate armed factions.

Guterres, who held talks with al-Sharaa shortly after his arrival, said the country was at a “pivotal moment” as it tries to return to stability.

It is estimated that the widespread destruction caused by the conflict will cost tens of billions of dollars to rebuild.

While the United States and Europe have lifted many of the sanctions imposed during the rule of the Assad dynasty, the impact on the ground has so far been limited.

Cuts to international aid have worsened living conditions for many. The United Nations estimates that 90 per cent of Syria’s population lives in poverty.

The World Bank released an assessment last year that said rebuilding Syria after over a decade of civil war is expected to cost about $216 billion.

During his stay in Syria, Guterres is scheduled to visit the UN force deployed along the border with Israel.

After taking power, al-Sharaa said that he had no desire for a conflict with Israel.

But Israel was suspicious of the new Islamist-led leadership and quickly moved to take control of the buffer zone. Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military facilities and periodic incursions into villages outside the buffer zone, which have sometimes led to violent confrontations with residents.