Brutality continues unabated in Syria: UN chief

United Nations, March 25 (IANS) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Monday said that "brutality continues unabated" in Syria after more than 100,000 people have been reportedly killed and more than 600,000 others injured since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in March 2011.

The secretary general in his latest report to the UN Security Council said that as the conflict enters its fourth year indiscriminate violence and brutality continue unabated in the Middle East country, Xinhua quoted his as saying.

"Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, including aerial bombings, shelling, mortars and car bombs in populated areas, caused mass civilian death and injuries and forced displacement," he said.

"Publicly available reports indicate that clashes between government and opposition forces continued in most parts of Syria."

Fighting was particular intense in Aleppo, Dar'a and Rural Damascus governorates, according to Ban.

As a result, at least 500,000 people have been displaced from eastern Aleppo City since January, said Ban, adding that around 200,000 fled to western Aleppo city and about 300,000 fled to the north of the country.

"Syria is now the biggest humanitarian and peace and security crisis facing the world," he said. "It requires an immediate end to violence and a negotiated political solution to the conflict."

"According to most observers and reports, well over 100,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the conflict," Ban said. "Reports and estimates from UN agencies indicate that more than 600,000 have been injured since the onset of the crisis in March 2011."

More than 9.3 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 6.5 million internally displaced, he said. "Nearly 2.6 million people have sought refuge in neighboring countries and North Africa."

Since the Syrian crisis broke out, the UN has been leading an international efforts to deliver the humanitarian assistance to the people in need, including Syrian refugees who fled to neighbouring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.