Death Toll since March 15, 2011

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The Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies (DCHRS) is an independent human rights NGO that monitors the human rights situation in Syria. In its thematic reports, the DCHRS issues a first indication of the casualties that it has managed to document to date. Through monitors who operate within Syria, DCHRS gathers information from across the country. However, the center’s access to information from Kurdish-held and ISIS-held territories is limited. The DCHRS is also unable to obtain accurate records on the number of Syrian regime forces killed in action, because these figures are not published by the regime.

Death Toll since the Beginning of the Syrian Revolution on March 15, 2011 through to December 31, 2014

Throughout March 15th, 2011 to December 31st, 2014, the Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies (DCHRS) documented a provisional total of 108,072 casualties. 79% of those killed were civilians. The remaining 21% belonged to one of the fighting factions. The number of documented children during the indicated period is 11,145 Children victims at a rate of 23% of the total victims. The documented number of women casualties is 7,720 at a rate of 16% of the total victims.

The most common cause of death was the shelling of residential areas. Moreover, the Assad regime used airstrikes, barrel bombs, and scud missiles targeting random residential areas, which caused the death of 28,889 people in that period. The total number of prisoners and detainees who were tortured to death in the detention centers of the Syrian government authorities is 4,886 victims, some of whom died simply due to starvation, disease, and ill treatments. Sniper fire and indiscriminate shooting killed 10,011, whereas 1,270 persons were murdered in extrajudicial killings.  Armed groups such as ISIS killed 1,660, whilst the source of the bullets that killed another 619 persons cannot be attributed to a particular group.

Due to the besiege imposed by the Syrian regime in many areas across the country, the number of people who died due to starvation during the indicated period is 1,265, about 98% of whom fell in the Damascus suburbs area. Various explosions killed 1,336 people. Finally, 105 persons were killed as result of airstrikes by the U.S.-led international coalition which began on September 23, 2014.

Death Toll for 2014

Throughout January 1st, 2014 to December 31st, 2014, the DCHRS documented a provisional total of 26,178 casualties. 70% of those killed were civilians. The remaining 30% belonged to one of the fighting factions. The number of documented children during the indicated period is 3,296 Children at a rate of 12% of the total victims, and the number of women casualties is 1,736 at a rate of 7% of the total number of victims.

The most common cause of death was the shelling of residential areas, which caused the death of 12,549 people in the year 2014. Sniper fire and indiscriminate shooting killed 1,303, whereas 2,275 people were tortured to death in the detention centers of the Syrian government authorities. A further 347 persons were murdered in extrajudicial killings.  Armed groups such as ISIS killed 968, whilst the source of the bullets that killed another 569 persons cannot be attributed to a particular group.

Due to the besiege imposed by the Syrian regime in many areas across the country, the number of people who died due to starvation during the indicated period is 395, about 98% of whom fell in the Damascus suburbs area. Various explosions killed 202 people. Finally, 105 persons were killed as result of airstrikes by the U.S.-led international coalition which began on September 23, 2014.

Death Toll for month of December 2014

In December 2014, the DCHRS documented a provisional total of 1505 casualties. 71% of those killed were civilians. The remaining 29% belonged to one of the fighting factions. Women and children respectively made up 5% and 11% of the total number of war casualties.

The most common cause of death was the shelling of residential areas, which caused the death of 663 people in November. Sniper fire and indiscriminate shooting killed 77, whereas 100 people were tortured to death in the detention centers of the Syrian government authorities. A further 36 persons were murdered in extrajudicial killings.  Armed groups such as ISIS killed 52, whilst the source of the bullets that killed another 63 persons cannot be attributed to a particular group. 27 died from starvation, which is a direct result of the siege that the Syrian regime imposes in many areas. Various explosions killed 32 people. Finally, 10 persons were killed as result of airstrikes by the U.S.-led international coalition.

Out of all the Syrian regions, most deaths were recorded in the Aleppo province. Violent clashes between regime forces and various armed groups have engulfed large parts of Aleppo city as well as the surrounding countryside. The Syrian regime has also targeted people in this area with barrel bombs. Almost one in six casualties this month occurred in Aleppo (415 people). 63% of those were civilians (262 people).

Through analysis of the casualties, it is possible to obtain a general picture of the human rights situation in Syria. Two observations indicate that the Syrian regime continues to actively target civilians. First, 71% of the total casualties are civilians. Secondly, about 41% of the casualties were the results of shelling, missiles, barrel bombs, and airstrikes. These methods of warfare belong exclusively to the regime and are associated with a high number of civilian deaths. The evidence collected by DCHRS points to grievous violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Torture and extrajudicial killings constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The DCHRS advocates for the protection of Syrian civilians. As a member of the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP), the DCHRS calls upon the international community to fulfill its Responsibility to Protect with regard to Syria. DCHRS also appeals to medical and humanitarian organizations to provide relief to ease the suffering of the Syrian people inside Syria and abroad.

Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies (DCHRS)