Washington, Nov 8 (IANS)

 The total cost of Syria's almost three-year-long conflict has reached over $103 billion in the first half of 2013, the UN said.

The devastating civil war has almost completely halted industrial activity in Syria, said a senior official from the Palestinian UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa), Alex Pollock, presenting a report on the country at the New America Foundation in Washington Thursday.

There were 2.33 million people unemployed in Syria in the first half of 2013 and over half the population is facing hunger, while the population has shrunk 8 percent amid an exodus of nearly two million refugees.

A total of 57 hospitals have been badly damaged in the war and of these 37 are no longer functioning, Pollock said. 

Rising numbers of illnesses, especially among women and children burdened the health system heavily, he said.

Close to 3,000 schools have been destroyed and almost half of Syrian students are no longer studying, Pollock said.