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The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. launched hundreds of shells on civilian-populated areas of Damascus and Rural Damascus, killing at least 20 civilians and injuring many more, while yesterday, shelling by non-State armed groups on civilian populated areas of Aleppo killed at least 33 people, including women and children, and injured over 150 more people. Allegations of attacks with chemical agents continue to be received. The joint OPCW-UN Mechanism established by Security Council resolution 2235 (2015) is the relevant body to investigate these allegations. Mr. President, The deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure continues to occur with alarming frequency. Attacks by non-State armed groups have resulted in significant disruption to municipal water and electricity networks in Aleppo, Damascus and Dar’a over the past weeks and months. Most recently, some two million people were without water in Aleppo city for two weeks in August. Deliberately depriving families and communities of water and electricity only serves to worsen humanitarian conditions, and drive ordinary Syrians into greater despair and desperation. Hospitals and medical facilities continue to be attacked. In August, Physicians for Human Rights documented 12 attacks on medical facilities while 15 medical workers were killed. Since the start of 2014, there have been 169 attacks on medical facilities and 252 medical workers have been killed. Attacks on such facilities have had a multiplier effect, not only killing and injuring, but also destroying the healthcare system as a whole, leaving many Syrians unable to obtain the most basic levels of care. Schools, which should be safe places for children to learn and grow, continue to be attacked. Since the start of 2014, the United Nations has verified at least 84 attacks on or near schools, although the actual number of schools attacked is likely higher. One in four schools cannot be used because they have been damaged, destroyed, or are being used as shelters for the internally displaced or for military purposes. Deliberate attacks on hospitals and schools are war crimes. All parties will unquestionably be held to account now and however far into the future it takes after investigation and due judicial process. Mr. President, I have spoken before about the impact of the conflict on Syria’s children and young people, but it does bear repeating once again. Today, Syria is one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a child. Over 5.6 million children are in need of immediate assistance. Although the school year commenced this past week, over two million children – that’s one out of every three - are not in school in Syria, and an additional 450,000 children are at risk of dropping out. We are extremely concerned about hundreds of thousands of children in ISIL-controlled areas forced to follow a curriculum designed by the designated terrorist group. According to reports by the Commission of Inquiry and others, children are murdered, tortured and subjected to sexual violence by all parties to the conflict. Millions of children have been traumatized by the horrors they have witnessed. Young people have few prospects. The conflic