Geneva-

As the Syrian civil war enters its 14th year and a political solution remains elusive, United Nations aid agencies are calling on the international community to remember the plight of millions of people who continue to suffer violence, destruction, poverty and abuse.

Thirteen years of crisis have taken an unimaginable toll on the Syrian people, and UN agencies have warned that the crisis will continue to wreak havoc on the people and worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.

As they mark the grim anniversary, Syria Humanitarian Coordinator Adam Abdulmullah and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria crisis Mohannad Hadi issued a joint statement on Friday, warning of “levels of need.” It’s never been higher.”

They estimate that 16.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, many of them victims of last year’s devastating earthquake that created a “crisis within a crisis”.

“Today, record numbers of people go to bed hungry every night, health care systems fail to adequately meet people’s needs, basic services are inaccessible and millions of children remain out of school,” they said.

Furthermore, they noted that after 13 years of war, Syria is facing its worst conflict-related violence in years, “resulting in civilian casualties, displacement and destruction across the country.”

The United Nations reports that more than 350,000 civilians have been killed and more than 12 million people have been forced to flee domestic and international refuges.

“Displaced people have suffered tremendously and will continue to suffer,” UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh told reporters in Geneva on Friday, noting that Syrian refugees and internally displaced people were now more vulnerable than others. The world’s support is needed more than ever.

He said that more than 5 million Syrians have taken refuge in five neighboring countries and more than 7.2 million Syrians have been displaced within Syria.

“The numbers are huge,” he said. “As early as 2015, Syrian refugees were making headlines as they migrated in search of safety. Sadly, they are no longer in the spotlight and their plight seems to have been downgraded.”

He said that while Syria may have been forgotten, “Syria remains the largest forced displacement crisis in the world” and cannot be ignored.

He said UNHCR’s humanitarian operations were suffering from severe cash shortages. He noted that 6 percent of the agency’s $466.6 million appeal to assist internally displaced Syrians and 10 percent of its $1.49 billion appeal to assist refugees and host communities had been received.

“Funding reductions are forcing UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies to make difficult choices about priorities and targets,” he said, warning that a lack of funding “could lead to child labor, gender-based violence, early marriage, school dropout.”

UNICEF reports that nearly 7.5 million children in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, “more than at any other time during the conflict.”

The UN children’s agency warned that repeated cycles of violence and displacement, a devastating economic crisis, disease outbreaks and last year’s earthquakes “leave hundreds of thousands of children at risk of long-term physical and mental consequences”.

More than 650,000 children under 5 are chronically malnourished, the report said, and a recent survey in northern Syria found that 34% of girls and 31% of boys suffered from psychological distress.

Adele Khodr of UNICEF said: “The sad reality is that today and in the coming days, many children in Syria will turn 13 and become teenagers because they know that they ’s entire childhood has been marked by conflict, displacement and poverty.” Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“A generation of children in Syria have already paid an unbearable price for this conflict,” she stressed. “Ultimately, children need a chance. They need a long-term, peaceful solution to the crisis.”

This view was echoed by UN Special Envoy for Syria Gail Peterson, who, marking “the solemn anniversary of this conflict,” said that “only an unwavering search for a political solution to end this conflict can bring peace to the country.” The people have regained hope.” “

Since taking office in 2019, Pedersen has worked tirelessly to draft a new constitution as part of the UN-mediated peace process negotiated in Syria. Previous meetings of the so-called Syrian Constitutional Council failed to make any progress in the process.

The outlook looks bleak. The committee last met in June 2022. Pedersen said he hoped to hold another meeting in Geneva next month. However, the proposal has hit a snag.

While the opposition Syrian Negotiating Council has accepted an invitation to attend the upcoming meeting, its spokesperson Jennifer Fenton told reporters in Geneva that “Peterson also received a letter from the Syrian government’s nominated co-chair but declined the invitation.”

She said Peterson would soon travel to Damascus.