UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is blaming the Syrian government and opposition for escalating violence and the blocking of aid to millions in desperate need of help.
Ban says that's despite pledges from both sides to comply with a United Nations resolution demanding immediate access everywhere in the country to deliver aid.
As a result of the intensifying "indiscriminate and disproportionate violence and brutality around 3.5 million people are now estimated to be in need of assistance in hard to reach areas, an increase of one million since the beginning of 2014", he said.
He reported only limited improvement in the delivery of aid to those difficult areas.
In a report to the Security Council circulated on Monday, he strongly condemned the government's heavy shelling and use of barrel bombs in residential neighbourhoods and "terror acts" by extremist groups.
