Syria - No Respite From Death, Destruction, Dread and Despair A decade UNITED NATIONS: The conflict in Syria is now ten years old. A decade of death, destruction, displacement, disease, dread and despair. I have spoken to Syrians in many parts of the country in recent weeks. They see no respite. And they are right: our latest humanitarian overview, which my office released last week, shows that needs are higher than ever. We estimate that 13.4 million people across all parts of Syria require humanitarian aid. Twenty per cent more than last year. The deep economic decay from a decade of war has deepened further over the last year, not least as a result of the pandemic.