As the Syrian conflict drags on without a foreseeable end, public kitchens have become an essential part of Ramadan for thousands of homeless people fasting from dawn until sunset every day.

A public kitchen deep in the heart of old Damascus has been serving free meals to the war-impoverished. Over 20,000 people in the Syrian capital alone are able to break their fast thanks to the public kitchen.

Issam Habbal, founder of the public kitchen /CGTN Screenshot

"The need is so urgent that many, many people feel touched by hunger. So we have many volunteers, mainly young, but we have older people and people with careers,” said Issam Habbal, founder of the public kitchen.

It depends on donations, aiming to help people through the month of Ramadan, a nearly impossible mission in today’s Syria.

The United Nations estimates that as many as 85 percent of the Syrians have been affected by the war and over 13 million are in need of some form of assistance.