Beirut, Jumada I 21, 1436, Mar 12, 2015, SPA -- About 14 million children across the Middle East are suffering from the escalating conflict sweeping Syria and much of Iraq, dpa quoted the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) as saying Thursday. Many children in the region have never known peace and war has left them without access to basic necessities, medical care and educations, the agency warned. "For the youngest children, this crisis is all they have ever known," UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said. "For adolescents entering their formative years, violence and suffering have not only scarred their past; they are shaping their futures." The official warned that the young generation in both countries are in danger of being lost to a cycle of violence. The agency called for long-term investments to meet the needs of children and adolescents and to equip them with the skills and motivation to build a more stable future for themselves. --SPA 11:09 LOCAL TIME 08:09 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w