BICOM

The latest report by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council on the conflict in Syria was released yesterday, estimating that at least 60,000 people have been killed in the fighting.

This represents a significant increase in the estimated death toll, with previous reports having put the figure at 45,000. The UN report is the result of five months of analysis, cross-referencing seven different sources to compile a list of the names, date and location of the deaths of 59,648 individuals killed between 15 March 2011 and 30 November 2012.

UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said in a statement yesterday, “The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking,” adding that given the continuing violence during December, “We can assume that more than 60,000 people have been killed by the beginning of 2013.” More deaths were recorded yesterday when a Syrian government jet bombed a queue of people at a petrol station in Damascus, reportedly killing dozens of civilians.

Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency yesterday announced that around 84,000 Syrians fled the fighting during December, bringing the total number of those displaced since the beginning of the 22-month-old conflict to around half a million. Many have fled to neighbouring Jordan and Lebanon, placing a strain on resources in those countries.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly warned of the potentially chaotic regional impact that the fall of President Assad’s regime could have, in particular the possibility that the country’s chemical weapons stockpile might fall into the hands of rogue groups. The Jerusalem Post reports today that the IDF Home Front Command is making contingency plans at all hospitals in the country to prepare for a variety of security threats, including the danger of chemical attack.