Syria is facing "the most disastrous humanitarian crisis in decades", a senior European Union official has warned, marking 1,000 days since the armed conflict began.
"One thousand days of violence which has resulted in tens of thousands of men, women and children losing their lives, millions being displaced in the country and beyond its borders in search of safety," EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva said.
"One thousand days of death, fear, hardship, deprivation and despair. One thousand days in which we are witnessing the creation of a lost generation," she said.
Syria's conflict of nearly three years has left more than 100,000 dead and forced more than three million refugees to flee the country, according to United Nations estimates.
Long-awaited peace talks between the Damascus government and the Syrian opposition are expected to be held in Geneva on January 22.
Georgieva said her hopes are "pinned" on the conference.
"In the meantime, I continue to reiterate my plea, and that of the entire international humanitarian community, for the parties involved in this terrible conflict to facilitate humanitarian access to all those in need," she said.
