UN Chief Guterres Calls for Immediate End to All Syria Sanctions

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for the immediate removal of all sanctions imposed on Syria during the rule of ousted president Bashar al-Assad, saying the country needs urgent international support to recover from years of war.

Speaking at a press conference in Damascus at the end of a two-day visit, Guterres welcomed recent steps to ease sanctions but said they were not enough.

"I welcome steps that have eased sanctions, and opened new possibilities for economic recovery, but all these sanctions must be removed immediately," he said.

Guterres urged the international community to increase its support for Syria's new government and its people as the country works to rebuild.

"The United Nations stands with the people of Syria at this pivotal moment. And I came carrying the strongest possible appeal to the international community, an appeal to spare no effort to support the Syrian people and to support the Syrian government," he said.

Describing the country as being "at a crossroads," Guterres said Syria needs investment in its people, economy, and institutions, as well as assistance to restore essential services, rebuild infrastructure, revive livelihoods, and facilitate the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of refugees and internally displaced people.

Syria's new authorities, who took power in December 2024, are seeking to rebuild the country's economy and infrastructure after more than 13 years of conflict.

Western countries, including the United States, have begun easing economic sanctions on Syria, though investors remain cautious. The World Bank estimates that rebuilding the war-torn country could cost around $216 billion.

Guterres is the first UN secretary-general to visit Syria since Ban Ki-moon's trip in 2009, two years before the country's civil war began. The conflict has claimed an estimated half a million lives and displaced millions of people.