United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for a landmark visit, marking the first trip by a UN chief to Syria in 17 years. During his visit, Guterres is expected to hold talks with Syria's interim leadership on a range of issues, including humanitarian recovery, the return of displaced people, and the protection of minority rights.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani welcomed Guterres upon his arrival at Damascus International Airport before the UN chief met with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the presidential palace.

The last visit by a UN Secretary-General took place in 2009, when Ban Ki-moon met with then-President Bashar al-Assad. Syria has since undergone more than a decade of conflict, culminating in Assad's removal from power in December 2024 following a rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group that has since been dissolved.

Ahead of the visit, Karla Quintana, head of the UN Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, stressed the importance of addressing the country's humanitarian legacy. She noted that hundreds of thousands of Syrians remain missing after years of conflict and repression, describing efforts to support displaced populations as essential for rebuilding the country's social fabric, economic recovery, and long-term peace.

According to United Nations estimates, approximately 5.5 million Syrians remain displaced, while 15.6 million people across the country continue to require humanitarian assistance.

Displacement has been particularly severe in Syria's Kurdish-majority regions. Residents of Afrin and Sare Kani (Ras al-Ain) experienced major waves of displacement following Turkish military operations and the takeover of the two areas by Turkish-backed armed groups in 2018 and 2019.

Earlier this year, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government reached an agreement aimed at accelerating the integration of the civilian and military institutions of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava) into national state institutions. The agreement also guarantees the return of displaced families.

Officials say around 10,000 families have already returned to Afrin, while the return of nearly 200,000 displaced residents to Sare Kani remains dependent on extensive landmine clearance efforts.

According to the UN Secretary-General's spokesperson, Guterres is also scheduled to meet with representatives of civil society, women's organizations, and members of Syria's diverse communities during his visit, underscoring the UN's continued engagement in supporting the country's transition, reconciliation, and humanitarian recovery.