United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for the first visit by a U.N. chief to Syria in 17 years, calling on the international community to rally behind the country's fragile recovery as it emerges from more than a decade of devastating civil war and begins rebuilding under its new leadership.
Guterres' trip marks the first visit by a U.N. secretary-general since Ban Ki-moon traveled to Damascus in 2009, two years before Syria descended into a conflict that claimed more than half a million lives, displaced millions and devastated much of the country's infrastructure.
The visit comes months after longtime President Bashar Assad was overthrown in December 2024, paving the way for the new government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
"I have just arrived in Damascus for a visit of solidarity," Guterres wrote on X shortly after landing. "The U.N. stands with Syria at this pivotal moment, and I appeal to the international community to spare no effort to support the people of Syria as well."
Syrian state media reported that Guterres met al-Sharaa at the People's Palace in Damascus soon after his arrival. Images released by state outlets also showed the U.N. chief touring the capital's historic Old City and visiting the iconic Umayyad Mosque, one of the oldest and most significant religious landmarks in the region.
