Syria: 'Most dire refugee crisis in a generation'

Three years into a civil war with no end in sight and with large parts of Syria destroyed, governments and organizations are preparing for the refugee crisis to last for years, says The New York Times.

The United Nations this year has asked for more than $5 billion in humanitarian aid for Syria — its biggest financial appeal ever for a single crisis, says the Times.

The high cost comes not only from the scale of the crisis but from the difficulties of helping a refugee population used to middle-class conditions, according to officials.