Syria's conflict leaving staggering level of destruction

It is a funny sort of ceasefire when the killing continues.

Today we have witnessed airstrikes around Homs and seen shells landing in rebel held areas of Damascus.

I can't be 100 per cent certain either were in breach of the cessation of hostilities since Syria/Russia are allowed to continue fighting Jabbat Al-Nusra and the so called Islamic State.

But numerous rebel groups covered by the truce claim they have been targeted since the ceasefire supposedly began.

Russia has also registered several alleged violations of the peace by rebel groups, and again we had first hand experience of one on Saturday when a mortar was fired apparently from rebel positions towards Abaseyyen Square.

It made me jump out of my skin and happened while we were interviewing a man who claims his apartment was hit by multiple mortars that morning.

It all adds to a picture of a ceasefire that is coming under immense pressure after just a few days.

But what has struck me most is not the shaky ceasefire, but the staggering level of destruction of the war so far - parts of Homs look like Stalingrad.

Street after street of some neighbourhoods have been pulverised by airstrikes and years of urban warfare.

The war has lasted longer than the first world war and left ruins worse than second.

Homs is a monument to the futility of this conflict and to the world’s collective failure to halt the fighting.

I passionately want this ceasefire to work, but after what I’ve seen during the last three days I fear it may fail.