UN chief Guterres urges end to bloodshed in Syria

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – There is an urgent need for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need in Syria and a return to a U.N.-facilitated political process to end the bloodshed, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.

He urged “all those with influence to do their part for the long-suffering people” of Syria and said all parties are obligated to protect civilians.

“Tens of thousands of civilians are at risk in a region already on fire,” Guterres told reporters.

“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,” he said.

Syrian rebels captured the city of Hama on Thursday, a major victory in a week-old lightning advance across northern Syria and a devastating new blow to President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Chizu Nomiyama)