The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria issued a stark warning about the deteriorating situation in the war-torn country, citing a rise in hostilities and widespread war crimes, largely at the hands of the Assad regime and its allies. The report describes a humanitarian crisis on the verge of spiraling out of control, as renewed fighting along multiple front lines has intensified.
“The direct clashes between the [PKK-affiliated] Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Arab tribes, regime forces, and Iranian-backed militias underscore the deep sense of injustice gripping the people of northeastern Syria,” said Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the commission. These confrontations have exacerbated tensions, with fears growing that Syria is once again on the brink of full-scale war.
The report documents war crimes carried out by various factions but indicates the continued brutality of forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad. Among the most egregious offenses were indiscriminate attacks by regime forces in northwestern Syria, where at least 150 civilians – half of them women and children – were killed, many through the use of cluster munitions. The commission characterized these actions as war crimes, pointing to the use of such weapons in densely populated urban centers, especially in the Idlib region.
The Assad regime, despite years of international condemnation, remains an ongoing threat to the Syrian people. The report details a massacre in Daraa in April, where pro-regime militias brutally executed ten civilians, including two children. These killings were carried out by former fighters who had undergone “reconciliation procedures” and bore the hallmarks of atrocities reminiscent of Syria’s darkest years. “[Assad] regime forces stationed just meters away from the massacre failed to intervene,” said Hanny Megally, a member of the commission, a stark sign of the regime’s consistent role in allowing violence to proliferate unchecked.
The Assad regime has also continued its systematic use of torture and arbitrary detention. The UN report confirms numerous cases of detainees subjected to torture, including sexual violence, and documents deaths during detention. Such practices, which have persisted throughout the conflict, constitute crimes against humanity.
In addition to regime abuses, the commission documented violations by revolutionary groups in Syria, noting the pervasiveness of human rights violations across all factions involved in the conflict.
The commission’s report also calls attention to the complex web of foreign military forces still operating in Syria. Six foreign armies, including those of Russia, Turkey, the US, and Israel, remain active in the country, contributing to the ongoing instability. Israeli airstrikes, according to the report, have caused civilian casualties on at least three occasions. At the same time, Iranian-backed militias have launched over 100 attacks on US bases in eastern Syria, prompting retaliatory strikes.
Turkish forces, too, have been implicated in unlawful military actions, including airstrikes that hit medical buildings and a power plant in northeastern Syria. The damage caused by these strikes has deprived over a million people of essential services such as water, fuel, and healthcare, compounding the humanitarian crisis.
With nearly 13 million Syrians facing severe food insecurity and over 650,000 children suffering from malnutrition, the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to worsen. The commission warned that the crisis could spiral out of control if the international community fails to act, particularly as aid funding continues to dwindle.
“Predatory practices” by local authorities have compounded the suffering of Syrians, with economic collapse and reduced aid leading to public unrest in both regime-controlled and liberated areas. Protests have erupted in recent months, driven by deepening poverty and desperation.
Despite this dire situation, the international response has been limited, leaving Syrians to suffer under a regime accused of war crimes and human rights violations. Hanny Megally emphasized the need to listen to the voices of Syrians demanding their rights, stating, “No Syrian refugee should be forced to return in the current circumstances.”
The international community’s failure to address the ongoing atrocities in Syria has left millions of people trapped in a seemingly unending cycle of violence. The Assad regime, bolstered by foreign allies, remains entrenched, while Syrians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. Without a concerted effort from global powers, the commission warns that Syria’s descent into chaos will only deepen, with dire consequences for both the region and the world.
