UN chief warns of catastrophe in Idlib offensive

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is warning of the growing risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in rebel-held Idlib province in Syria if there’s a full-scale military operation.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric says Guterres is urgently appealing to the Syrian government and opposition forces to exercise restraint and make the protection of civilians a priority.

He says Guterres called on Russia, Iran and Turkey as guarantor states trying to end the violence in Syria to find a peaceful solution in Idlib.

The Syrian government is gearing up for an expected offensive in Idlib, home to nearly 3 million people. The US, Britain and France have warned they will respond to any use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Dujarric says Guterres “reaffirms that any use of chemical weapons is totally unacceptable.”

— AP