Speaking at the London Syria Conference, UN Refugee Agency High Commissioner Filippo Grandi called for more funding to offer much-needed assistance and stability to Syrian refugees, who have become more and more vulnerable as the civil war rages into its fifth year.

“While efforts to bring peace hopefully continue, we must not fail in our responsibility to help and protect victims. This is now a global responsibility and today we have that opportunity,” Grandi said on the first day of the conference, which has been overshadowed by the suspension of peace talks in Geneva.

Billions were pledged in the first day of the donor conference, which is aiming to raise $9 billion in aid for refugees, according to the BBC. Credit: YouTube/UNHCR