Government forces and the Islamic State jihadist group continue to commit flagrant violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Syria, the United Nations warned on Monday.
"As the war is poised to enter its sixth year, its horrors are pervasive and ever-present," the UN Human Rights Council said in a report.
Civilians remain the primary victims in a conflict that has intensified, destroying the country and ravaging the lives of Syrian men, women and children, the report said.
"War crimes by the belligerents are rampant," said the 31-page report.
It charts abuses by the warring sides including the destruction of towns and villages, attacks on schools and medical facilities, cuts to electricity and water, slave markets, sieges and the use of starvation as a method of warfare.
The report urges efforts towards "an all-inclusive, Syrian-led process to end the armed conflict and aid "the transition towards peace," that values the key role played by women in protecting their families and communities.
"Women should be able to participate fully in current and future political negotiations," it stated.
The report demands an end to all sieges and attacks on civilian targets, the recruitment and use of children by armed groups, an end to torture and sexual violence and recommends local and national ceasefires ahead of substantive peace talks to end the brutal conflict.
The report also urged humanitarian access and protection of humanitarian workers in Syria, where as 13.5 million Syrians are in need of aid, including six million children of whom three million don't attend school.
"Ensuring humanitarian access and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is paramount," the report concluded.
