Escalating Syria conflict is a 'chronic collective failure': UN chief

UNITED NATIONS: UN chief Antonio Guterres said Thursday that the escalating conflict in Syria is the result of a "chronic collective failure" of diplomacy, as he called for an end to fighting.

After being dormant for years, the Syrian civil war exploded back into life last week as Islamist-led rebels launched an offensive against the forces of President Bashar al-Assad and captured the commercial hub of Aleppo, adding the city of Hama on Thursday to their conquests.

It marked the most intense fighting since 2020 in the civil war sparked by the repression of pro-democracy protests in 2011.

"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," the secretary-general told reporters.

"After 14 years of conflict, it is high time for all parties to engage seriously with Geir Pedersen, my Special Envoy for Syria, to finally chart a new, inclusive and comprehensive approach to resolving this crisis in line with Security Council resolution 2254," Guterres said.

That resolution adopted by the Security Council in 2015 established a road map for a political transition in Syria.

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

He said he spoke Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country backs the rebels. Russia and Iran are the main allies of Assad.

"I emphasized urgent needs for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need and the return to the UN facilitated political process to end the bloodshed. All parties are obligated under international law to protect civilians," said Guterres.