In the face of the ongoing crisis in Syria, where headlines from across the world now describe a situation in which children are being pushed to the edge of their endurance, non-profit organisation Handicap International has called on all parties involved to cease all use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and on the international community to condemn the practice and commit to bringing it to an end.

"No, the war in Syria is not over," says Mélanie Broquet, responsible for monitoring and coordinating emergency programs related to the Syrian crisis on behalf of Handicap International, who was in Luxembourg on Friday 10 March to meet with political representatives and to take stock of the situation on the ground.

Ms Broquet met with Mars di Bartolomeo, president of the Chamber of Deputies, Marc Angel, chairman of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs and Foreign Minister Romain Schneider to fill them in on the alarming situation that the teams of Handicap International face daily in Syria and neighbouring countries.

For six years, Syrians have lived under intense and indiscriminate aerial bombardment. Between September and December 2016, an average of 94 attacks per day involving explosive weapons was recorded.

More than 400,000 Syrians have died in the conflict and more than one million are injured, while nearly five million people have fled the country and another 6.5 million are displaced within it. Currently, 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria.

The conflict is notable for its massive and repeated use of explosive weapons. According to a census of the International NGO Safety Organization (INSO), 8656 attacks involving explosive weapons were recorded between 26 September and 28 December 2016, accounting for 72% of the incidents recorded.

To make matters worse, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is intense, and rising. A study by the Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN), found that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas accounted for 48% of civilian casualties In 2012. This proportion almost doubled in 2016 to 83%.

"Bombing and shelling became the rule in the conflict in Syria. They have reached a terrible intensity with devastating effects on the civilian populations,” said Mélanie Broquet, adding, “whole cities are destroyed; The population is traumatised. There is not a family we meet who has not experienced mourning. It will take generations to get the country back on its feet when the conflict is over."