Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, painted a bleak picture of human rights violations in more than 50 countries in his annual report delivered on Wednesday.

From "apocalypse" in Syria and "ethnic cleansing" in Myanmar, to the rising tide of right-wing politics in Europe and anti-migrant policies in the United States, no stone was left unturned by the UN human rights chief, who is not known for mincing words.

Key points of the address

In his speech to the UN Human Rights Council, Zeid:

Highlighted violence against civilians in Syria.

Expressed concern about rising hatred and xenophobia in Europe.

Criticized the United States' anti-migrant clampdown.

Warned crimes against humanity may be committed in Venezuela.

Described Myanmar's military operations against Rohingya as possible "acts of genocide."

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures Enclave under siege More than 1,500 people have been killed since Syrian government troops backed by Russia launched a ferocious attack on eastern Ghouta on February 18. Airstrikes have reduced much of the area near Damascus to ruins. According to the UN, there were an estimated 400,000 people trapped inside the besieged enclave without access to food and water when the offensive began.

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures 'Hell on earth' The town of Douma, with its 200,000 residents, is now the only remaining Ghouta pocket still under rebel control. The full recapture of eastern Ghouta would mark a significant victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Referring to the month-long assault on the enclave, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded "this hell on earth" be stopped immediately.

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures Reports of chemical attack According to activists and doctors in the region, several people have suffered symptoms consistent with those triggered by a chlorine gas attack and had to be treated in hospital. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned the Syrian regime that the use of chemical weapons will result in French retaliation, but the Syrian government claims it has never used this kind of munition.

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures 300,000 killed A man and child look at the remains of a missile in Douma, the largest in eastern Ghouta. More than 300,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2011, when the government cracked down on protesters who were calling for the release of political prisoners and for President Assad to step down.

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures 'Rapid spread of malnutrition' Activists say people in Douma have little food or water. Marten Mylius, the emergency relief coordinator for CARE in the Middle East, told DW that "after the tunnels were destroyed and the crossings closed, the price of basic foods skyrocketed. One kilo of rice now costs $4.50 (€3.66). A lot of people cannot afford that anymore. In other words, we are witnessing a rapid spread of malnutrition."

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures At the mercy of the regime Aid access to eastern Ghouta is difficult because there is no direct route from neighboring countries. "In Idlib, for example...you can get in directly from the Turkish border. You can wait with supplies at the border and then bring in the convoy. It is much more difficult in eastern Ghouta," Mylius told DW. Author: Natalie Muller



Syria

Escalating violence across Syria threatens millions of civilians. Of particular concern is the ongoing regime offensive in eastern Ghouta and Idlib province, as well as the Turkish military operation against the Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

Beyond the latest hotspots, Zeid said that somewhere else soon civilians will face "an apocalypse intended, planned and executed by individuals within the government with apparent full foreign backing," a reference to Iran and Russia.

On eastern Ghouta, Zeid called the regime and Russian justification to indiscriminately bomb heavily populated civilian areas to fight a few hundred fighters "legally, and morally, unsustainable."

"When you are prepared to kill your own people so easily, lying is easy too. Claims by the government of Syria that it is taking every measure to protect its civilian population are frankly ridiculous," he said.

Myanmar

Echoing previous statements, Zeid warned of a "continuation of ethnic cleansing in Rakine state" where the Myanmar military has expelled hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, burned villages and killed thousands.

Myanmar may be committing "acts of genocide," he said.

There is also a "deliberate attempt by the authorities to destroy evidence of potential international crimes, including possible crimes against humanity."

Watch video 02:05 Share Nobel laureates decry Rohingya 'genocide' Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2tR6A Nobel laureates call for action against Rohingya 'genocide'

Europe

More than two-thirds of national parliaments in EU countries include parties with extreme positions on migrants, Muslims and other minorities. In particular, Zeid singled out right-wing parties in Italy, Austria, Hungary and Poland.

Zeid said: "This discourse based on racism, xenophobia and incitement to hatred has now expanded so significantly that in several countries it is dominating the political landscape."

In Poland, the ruling PiS government’s reforms of the judicial system and other moves have "severely weakened checks and balances" and strengthened control over media, civil society and public life. The government also "frequently takes a passive approach to the growing number of hate crimes and incidents of hate speech against minority communities and migrants."

In Hungary, Zeid said he was "shocked at the contempt for migrants, and more broadly for human rights, expressed by senior government officials."

Read more: Hungary's Orban threatens pro-refugee NGOs, slams Muslim migration

Viktor Orban's most controversial migration comments 'Muslim invaders' "We don't see these people as Muslim refugees. We see them as Muslim invaders," Orban said in a recent interview with German daily Bild newspaper. The 54-year-old prime minister of Hungary added: "We believe that a large number of Muslims inevitably leads to parallel societies, because Christian and Muslim society will never unite." Multiculturalism, he said, "is only an illusion."

Viktor Orban's most controversial migration comments 'You wanted the migrants, we didn't' When asked by Bild whether it was fair for Germany to accept hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants while Hungary accepted none, Orban responded: "The difference is, you wanted the migrants, and we didn't." Migration, he said, threatens the "sovereignty and cultural identity" of Hungary.

Viktor Orban's most controversial migration comments 'Migration is poison' It was not the first time the Hungarian leader has framed migration as a problem for his country. In 2016, he said that Hungary "does not need a single migrant for the economy to work, or the population to sustain itself, or for the country to have a future." He added: "for us migration is not a solution but a problem ... not medicine but a poison, we don’t need it and won’t swallow it.”

Viktor Orban's most controversial migration comments 'Importing homophobia' Orban has repeatedly criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her decision to allow over a million migrants into Germany in the summer of 2015. Orban told Bild in early 2016: "If you take masses of non-registered immigrants from the Middle East into your country, you are importing terrorism, crime, anti-Semitism, and homophobia."

Viktor Orban's most controversial migration comments 'All terrorists are basically migrants' Orban has also repeatedly criticized the EU for trying to get member states to share refugees based on national quotas. In a 2015 interview with POLITICO, he suggested the bloc's leaders instead focus more on strengthening the EU's external border. In the same interview, he said: "Of course it’s not accepted, but the factual point is that all the terrorists are basically migrants."

Viktor Orban's most controversial migration comments 'Parallel societies' Orban has found allies in other right-wing governments in eastern Europe such as Poland that also oppose the EU's refugee policies. In an interview with Spanish TV channel Intereconomia in 2015, Orban raised fears about integrating Muslim migrants in the EU when he said: "What sort of Europe do we want to have? Parallel societies? Muslim communities living together with the Christian community?" Author: Alexander Pearson



Separately, the UN criticized the EU’s "overriding focus" on preventing migrants from reaching Europe, and in some cases deporting them back to their home or third-countries.

In particular, "the EU and its members need to review the approach they are taking in the Mediterranean, to ensure that they are not indirectly supporting the return of migrants to Libya, where they face a real risk of torture, sexual violence and other serious violations," Zeid said.

Read more:Frontex launches new EU border control mission Operation Themis

Watch video 02:48 Share Fraud in EU-funded projects in Hungary Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2tkTC Fraud in EU-funded projects in Hungary

Venezuela

Democratic institutions and human rights have been eroded in Venezuela, where basic goods are lacking and hundreds of thousands have fled the country.

The government has taken powers from parliament and clamped down on the opposition. "Freedom of expression, opinion, association and peaceful assembly are being repressed and severely restricted," Zeid said.

There is also the "possibility that crimes against humanity have been committed."

Watch video 03:18 Share Venezuelans flee to Columbia Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2tl2U Colombia worried over massive influx of Venezuelans

United States

Under US President Donald Trump, the detention and deportation of migrants, including children, has increased.

Zeid said: "Detentions and deportations of long-standing and law-abiding migrants have sharply increased, tearing families apart and creating enormous hardship."

Read more: Why Donald Trump's immigration deal is a hard sell

"I deplore the continuing uncertainty about beneficiaries of the DACA program," he added.

He also expressed concern that migrants and children intercepted along the southern border with Mexico are being detained in "abusive conditions."