Syria's plight puts the world to shame – leaders must unite to find a solution

Five years into one of the most savage conflicts of our time, the people of Syria are at the crossroads of despair and deprivation. In 2016, 13.5 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance (pdf) – the highest number to date. Six million Syrian children have been robbed of their right to safety and denied a childhood. Every hour of every day, 50 Syrian families are displaced by violence (pdf).

The outward flow of Syrian refugees has reached Europe, while 4.6 million Syrians in hard-to-reach areas and besieged locations (pdf) are trapped in rapidly deteriorating conditions in places such as eastern Ghouta, Fua, Kefraya, Moadamiyeh al-Sham, Deraa, Deir ez-Zor and Madaya. This is not just a problem for Syria; it is a problem for the region and a stain on the world’s conscience. It calls for all countries and people of goodwill to find a solution urgently. The conflict continues to undermine the potential of a generation and the future of Syria itself. Accounts of people forced to subsist on grass and weeds and dying from severe malnutrition elicited shock and outrage. The world is now confronted with how to fulfil our collective humanitarian responsibility to meet immediate needs and find a path to peace so Syrians can live in safety and dignity and begin rebuilding.

There are two important initiatives underway now that are critical to the future of Syria. In Geneva, the protracted peace process has resumed. Mediated by the UN’s special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, parties to the conflict have the opportunity to find a way to stop the bleeding and open a path to peace and reconciliation. The international community, especially members of the security council, need to support the talks and take all measures to push the process forward.

On 4 February, leaders will gather in London to raise the resources needed to meet today’s humanitarian needs and tomorrow’s development demands while identifying the longer term requirements of those affected by the crisis. To meet needs in Syria, $3.18bn (£2.2bn) is essential. A further $4.55bn is required for refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey, where governments and people are bearing a heavy cost.

Every day, humanitarian partners on the ground tirelessly deliver life-saving assistance to millions of people in need, unarmed and undeterred. But their efforts, increasingly thwarted by violence and restrictions on access, are never enough. We look to the Geneva talks to achieve agreement on lifting sieges and opening up all areas to assistance as a critical first step on the road to peace.

Meanwhile, the vulnerability and humanitarian needs of Syrians are increasing. Before the current crisis started, the immunisation programme in Syria was among the most effective in the region. Today vaccination coverage has dropped from 91% to below 50%. As conflict lines have spilled across communities, civilian populations throughout Syria are struggling to survive. Military attacks from the air and ground have resulted in more than 250,000 casualties (pdf) and devastated civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. Many of these attacks violate the principles of international humanitarian law that forbid parties from targeting civilians or infrastructure.