U.N. agencies: Stop the suffering in Syria

Of all the terrible conflicts facing the world in 2013, Syria is undoubtedly the most complex and dangerous.

Violence has left four million people inside Syria in desperate need of help -shelter, food, education, clean water, health care and protection and has uprooted two million inside the country and sent 600,000 fleeing the horrors of war into neighboring countries. Now a bitter winter is the new enemy.

Syria's children suffer the most. At least half of all those affected by the conflict are children. Too many have been injured or killed; too many have seen family and friends die, their homes and schools reduced to rubble.

The good news is our aid is reaching approximately 1.5 million Syrians, even in areas of fighting children are being vaccinated, and temporary schools are being set up, families are being fed and sheltered thanks to our work and to the valiant, efforts of many partners like the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

In December, the U.N. appealed for $1.5 billion for the humanitarian response both inside and outside Syria and we are urging donors to contribute more.

If the conflict can't be stopped now, the least we can do is ease the suffering.