Syria recorded 68,000 deaths in 2017: Registry chief
More than 33,000 were killed last year alone, including more than 10,000 civilians and 7,000 pro-regime fighters, it says.
International donors at a UN-EU humanitarian conference have pledged $4.4 billion to fund critical aid programmes in war-torn Syria throughout 2018.
Gathered in the Belgian capital alongside top officials from over 85 countries and organisations, UN and EU leaders said on Wednesday that the stalled UN-led Syrian political negotiations, known as the intra-Syrian talks, must be revived.
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In a video message to the conference, which aimed to boost support for the future of Syria as well as the wider region, hosting millions of refugees, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that negotiations were the only way forward. “The solution must be political.”
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The UN chief also stressed on the importance of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), which endorsed a road map for a peace process in Syria, and the 2012 Geneva communique, which set out the principles for a political transition in the country.
Guterres said he will continue to engage with member states to move towards a genuine and credible political solution that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people to dignity and freedom.
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