Secretary-General Monitoring ‘Alarming’ Military Escalation in Syria, Urges All Parties to Defuse Tensions, Move Swiftly towards Political Solution

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:

The Secretary‑General is following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders.

The latest events come as the Syrian people suffer through one of the most violent periods in nearly seven years of conflict.  Over 1,000 civilian casualties from air strikes were reported in the first week of February alone.

The Secretary‑General stresses once again that all concerned in Syria and the region have a responsibility and must abide by international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.  He calls on all to work for an immediate and unconditional de‑escalation of violence and exercise restraint.

The Secretary-General further calls on the parties to move swiftly toward a political solution, in line with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), which is the only way to end the violence and the terrible suffering of the Syrian people.