Status: 06/28/2022 1:13 p.m
According to a UN study, more than 300,000 civilians were killed during the Syrian war. Every victim has “profound, lasting consequences for the family,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Around 1.5 percent of Syria’s population has died since the civil war began. This was announced by the UN Human Rights Office based on an estimate for the period between early March 2011 and late March 2021. The number of casualties amounts to 306,887 civilians.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said these were “not simply abstract numbers: The killing of each and every one of the 306,887 civilians is likely to have had profound, lasting consequences for the family and the community to which they belonged. “
83 civilian casualties per day
The UN Human Rights Council in Geneva commissioned the calculation. Statistically, the conflict cost the lives of 83 uninvolved citizens every day.
The basis of the investigation was detailed information on 143,350 civilian deaths, with names, dates of death and place. In the other cases, missing information was estimated and supplemented using established statistical methods, said a spokeswoman.
According to the UN High Commissioner, the deaths of many other civilians are not reflected in the figures. For example, many people had no access to medical care during the war, or there was a lack of food and drinking water. Those affected died of illnesses or weakness.
Assad bloodily crushed protests
The Syrian conflict began in 2011 with popular protests against President Bashar al-Assad, which his regime brutally crushed. Terrorist groups and rebels conquered large parts of the country. Millions of women, men and children fled. With the help of Russia and Iran, Assad was able to push back and defeat his opponents in most areas.
Assad’s supporters now control around two-thirds of the country again. Many areas are still destroyed because there is not enough money for reconstruction. Syria is also suffering from an economic crisis.