UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says the number of people killed in the Syrian conflict has now surpassed 100-thousand. Lucy Du has more.

 

　　The latest estimate is 7-thousand people higher than the figure issued by the UN only a month ago.

 

　　UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

 

　　"The conflict is now continuing for almost two and a half years. More than 100,000 people have been killed. Millions of people have either been displaced or become refugees in neighbouring countries. We have to bring this to an end."

 

　　Ban Ki-moon has issued the statement at UN headquarters in New York alongside US Secretary of State John Kerry.

 

　　Both are stressing the urgency of finding a political solution to the conflict.

 

　　Ban Ki-Moon is also appealing for a fresh attempt to try to convene a peace conference.

 

　　Previous attempts at trying to get a peace conference together have been held up by differences between Russia and the US about who will be involved.

 

　　At issue is the involvement of the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

 

　　Russia has insisted Assad needs to be part of the process.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Lucy Du.