U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a meeting of the General Assembly Tuesday that the Syrian government is continuing its onslaught and civilians are suffering the most. Ban also said that opposition groups have stepped up activity. "The conflict has taken a particularly brutal turn. Syrian government forces continue indiscriminate shelling of densely populated areas with heavy weapons, tanks, and air assets. Civilians bear the brunt of the violence. Even people in line for bread have been attacked," Ban told the General Assembly. He called on all member states and the Security Council "to find common ground so we can help the Syrian people to start charting a way towards an inclusive, peaceful, and democratic political transition that will be decided by Syrians themselves." "The Syrian people have waited too long," Ban said. The U.N. chief said that more than 2.5 million people in Syria need assistance - including Palestinian and Iraqi refugees - and the number of Syrians who have fled the country is now more than 225,000.
