The UN secretary-general has stressed the urgent need for a negotiated political solution in Syria, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation as this month marks the 13th anniversary of the conflict in the country.
The UN estimates that 16.7 million people, equivalent to 70% of the total population, will require humanitarian assistance within a year, and about half of the pre-war population remains displaced inside or outside Syria.
The crisis was further exacerbated by a series of earthquakes that struck the north of the country in February last year, killing about 5,900 people. Infrastructure was severely damaged, exacerbating the vulnerability of millions of people already struggling to meet their basic needs.