UN secretary-general calls for an end to 'humanitarian nightmare' in Syria 

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres on Friday made an impassioned call for ending the ongoing conflict in Syria.

''This man-made humanitarian nightmare for the long-suffering Syrian people must stop. It must stop now," he said but did not offer any specific plan for curbing the bloodshed in the final rebel holdout.

"The message is clear: There is no military solution for the Syrian crisis. The only possible solution remains political."

Guterres recalled that he had repeatedly called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Idlib, and urged all parties to avoid any escalation in the fighting.

"It is crucial to break the vicious circle of violence and suffering," he said.

The latest offensive in the regions of Aleppo and Idlib has uprooted nearly 1 million people - most of them are women and children.

(With inputs from AFP)