UN warns of renewed conflict in Syria but offers hope with sanctions lifting
May 22, 2025
Damascus [Syria], May 22: The top U.N. official for Syria warned Wednesday of the "real dangers of renewed conflict and deeper confrontation" in the war-battered country but also hoped for a better life for its people following decisions by the U.S. and European Union to lift sanctions.
Geir Pedersen noted the fragilities in the multiethnic country and "the urgent need to address the growing polarization." He pointed to violence against the Druze minority in late April following the killings in Alawite-minority areas in March.
"The challenges facing Syria are enormous, and the real dangers of renewed conflict and deeper fragmentation have not yet been overcome," he told the U.N. Security Council.
But Pedersen said the Syrian people are cautiously optimistic that President Donald Trump's announcement last week that the U.S. will lift sanctions and a similar EU announcement Tuesday will "give them a better chance than before to succeed against great odds."
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
