Update: Syria's civil war: the war has killed half a million people and displaced half the population.

• Author: Smith, Patricia
• Position: Brief article

Nowhere is the devastation of Syria's civil war more apparent than in the ruined city of Aleppo. Once a cosmopolitan place full of shops and ancient buildings, Syria's largest city has been bombed relentlessly and, in many areas, reduced to piles of rubble.

The United Nations says 275,000 people are trapped in the rebel-held eastern part of the city. People inside the besieged area say conditions are desperate.

"Every day is worse than the last," says Bassem Ayoub, an Aleppo resident. "Every day I leave my house, I keep in mind that I might not be back. All the people are doing the same here. We're living day by day."

The conflict in Syria, which began in 2011, pits the regime of President Bashar al-Assad against rebel groups ranging from moderates...