569 Civilians Killed in December 2017

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) recently published a report detailing the  death tolls in Syria throughout December 2017, with 569 civilian deaths. Civilian victims in December include 152 children and 89 women, the majority of which were at the hands of Syrian Regime and Extremist groups.

Syrian Regime Forces were the largest perpetrator of civilian deaths this month, with a total of 285 civilians, including 49 children and 34 women throughout the month of December. The second largest portion of civilian casualties were at the hands of Extremist groups, with a total of 97 civilians, including 6 women and 20 children. 

The Syrian-Russian Alliance was responsible for 59% of the total death tolls in this month. According to the SNHR, the Syrian-Russian alliance initiated attacks that directly targeting civilians and civilian facilities
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The de-escalation agreement of May 2017 is still in effect in the four established zones of the Idlib governate, nothern Homs, Eastern Ghouta and parts of Daraa and al Quneitra. In May 2017, Russia, USA and Jordan also announced a ceasefire agreement for southwestern Syria including the Daraa, Quneitra and Suwayda governates. 

There was also an agreement signed for the northern suburbs of Homs and southern suburbs of Hama de-escalation agreement which was signed in Cairo on Monday, July 31, 2017 following a round of talks between armed opposition factions in the area and the Syrian regime represented by the Russian government a sponsoring party, as the agreement was to commence at Thursday, August 3, 2017.

The de-escalation agreements throughout Syria do continue to show a deescalation in killings within the agreed upon areas. Markets are beginning to open again, patients were able to go to hospitals and some children were able to return school. However, the Syrian Regime continues to breech the agreements, and are continuing deaths by torture within Syria. In addition, Russia has breached de-escalation agreements the last three months, after previous months of low death tolls. 

Despite numerous sources claiming the conflict in Syria to be over, the civilian deaths and fighting in Syria continue to destroy the country and make it unsafe for Syrians to return in certain areas. It is the responsibility of the Security Council to take additional steps to stop indiscriminate bombings and killings in Syria. The SNHR calls for the Security Council to, "apply pressure on the states that support the Syrian regime forces such as Russia, Iran and Lebanon in order to stop the weaponry and expertise supply for regime forces."

The SNHR also calls for the Russian guarantor to stop the Syrian regime from dooming all de-escalation agreements and start making progress in the detainees" regarding the 76,000 people who have been forcibly disappeared at the hands of the Syrian Regime since March 2011.   

Death Tolls: 
 -Government forces: 285
- Russian forces: 47
- ISIS: 97
- Armed opposition factions: 1
- International Coalition forces: 89
- Other Parties: 40
- Kurdish Forces: 10



2018-11-01