`` Syria is spiraling towards full-scale disaster , '' a U.N. official says . More than 400,000 refugees have fled since the beginning of this year . The United Nations estimates that more than half are children under 15 years old and many women and elderly people who were forced to flee their homes in recent months will be unable to return home for weeks or even U.N. Similarly , opposition members have said they will not work directly with al-Assad 's `` criminal '' government , nor will they accept any plan that does n't involve al-Assad 's departure . says it 's `` dispatching a team to assess the situation and attempt a resolution ''
`` Syria is spiraling towards full-scale disaster , '' a U.N. official says . More than 400,000 refugees have fled since the beginning of this year . The United Nations estimates that more than half are children under 15 years old and many women and elderly people who were forced to flee their homes in recent months will be unable to return home for weeks or even U.N. says it 's `` dispatching a team to assess the situation and attempt a resolution ''