Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (right) welcomes UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Damascus, Syria, 25 July 2026
In a landmark visit to Damascus, United Nations Secretary-General Antรณnio Guterres on Saturday appealed to the international community to support the people of Syria.ย
Itย isย theย firstย byย aย UNย chiefย toย theย Syrianย capitalย sinceย 2009ย andย comesย asย theย countryย isย tryingย toย recoverย fromย aย moreย thanย decade-longย 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.ย
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.ย
Guterres, who held talks with al-Sharaa shortly after his arrival, said the country was at a โpivotal momentโ as it tries to return to stability.ย
Itย isย estimatedย thatย theย widespreadย destructionย causedย byย theย conflictย willย costย tensย ofย billionsย ofย dollarsย toย rebuild.ย
Whileย theย Unitedย Statesย andย Europeย haveย liftedย manyย ofย theย sanctionsย imposedย duringย theย ruleย ofย theย Assadย dynasty,ย theย impactย onย theย groundย hasย soย farย beenย limited.ย
Cuts to international aid have worsened living conditions for many. The United Nations estimates that 90 per cent of Syriaโs population lives in poverty.ย
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.ย
During his stay in Syria, Guterres is scheduled to visit the UN force deployed along the border with Israel.ย
After taking power, al-Sharaa said that he had no desire for a conflict with Israel.ย
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.
