Int'l condemnations of civilian mass killings in Syria pour in
4 Min Read
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for investigations into the massacres taking place in Syria, while the WHO called the events "disturbing".
-
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk addresses media personnel in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024 (AP)
The United Nations condemned the violence on the Syrian coast on Sunday, amid reports of entire families being killed, which the UN described as "extremely disturbing".
The United Nations Rights chief, Volker Turk, called for prompt investigations into the massacres perpetrated by armed factions and holding those responsible accountable.
"There are reports of summary executions on a sectarian basis by unidentified perpetrators, by members of the caretaker authorities' security forces, as well as by elements associated with the former government," Turk said in a statement published on Sunday.
The UN rights chief added, "We are receiving extremely disturbing reports of entire families, including women, children and hors de combat fighters, being killed," demanding that "the killing of civilians in coastal areas in northwest Syria must cease, immediately."
He called for "prompt, transparent, and impartial investigations into all the killings and other violations," adding that "those responsible must be held to account, in line with international law norms and standards. Groups terrorising civilians must also be held accountable."
On his part, the chief of the World Health Organization described the clashes as deeply concerning and maintained that they were directly impacting people's health since health facilities and ambulances have been damaged.
"WHO is working to deliver emergency medicines and trauma supplies for the immediate care of the injured," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X on Sunday, emphasizing that "WHO urges all parties to respect and safeguard health services to ensure medical aid reaches those who need it most. Peace is the best medicine."
Clashes in #Syria’s coastal and central areas are deeply concerning and directly impacting people’s health, as health facilities and ambulances have been damaged.@WHO is working to deliver emergency medicines and trauma supplies for the immediate care of the injured.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 9, 2025
WHO urges…
Britain's Foreign Minister David Lammy on Sunday condemned the recent killing of civilians in northwestern Syria, calling it "horrific".
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces and allied groups had killed 830 Alawite civilians over the past four days.
"The authorities in Damascus must ensure the protection of all Syrians and set out a clear path to transitional justice," Lammy said in a post on X.
The reports that large numbers of civilians have been killed in coastal areas in Syria in ongoing violence are horrific.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) March 9, 2025
The authorities in Damascus must ensure the protection of all Syrians and set out a clear path to transitional justice.
Syrians protest as thousands are killed in the Syrian coast
Syrians held a demonstration in Damascus on March 9 in support of the Alawite minority group, which has been under attack by unidentified armed factions since Thursday, as the death toll of the attack reaches a thousand.
As protesters chanted slogans against sectarianism and demanded an end to the bloodshed, militants escalated their attacks on multiple villages in Tartus and the Jableh countryside in Latakia, while communications remained cut off from Dar'a and Suweida, creating an atmosphere of heightened tension and uncertainty
1,018 people have been killed by the attacks on Latakia so far, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on March 9, who noted that 745 deaths were Alawite civilians, 125 were security personnel, and 148 were fighters reportedly affiliated with former President Bashar al-Assad.
The observatory reported multiple massacres in recent days with women and children being among the victims, emphasizing that "the vast majority of the victims were summarily executed by elements affiliated to the ministry of defence and the interior."
Local sources from the Syrian coast confirmed to Al Mayadeen that the death toll from the massacres has reached the hundreds, while dozens of bodies remain scattered along roadsides and in the streets of villages, with families unable to bury them or even approach them.
Spiritual leaders in Syria called for the cessation of bloodshed, with Christian patriarchs emphasizing the need to "put an end to these horrific acts that contradict all human and ethical values," while Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri appealed "to all parties to adhere to the law, international principles, and conventions that prohibit the killing of innocent civilians."
Sayyed Abdullah Nizam, the president of the Islamic Scholarly Assembly for the Followers of Ahl al-Bayt in Syria, echoed these calls, asserting that "the cycle of violence sweeping through the country and the sectarian rhetoric will bring no good to anyone."
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry voiced its concern over the events in Latakia, reaffirming its support for the stability, national institutions, and security of Syria while opposing any actions that endanger the safety of the Syrian people.
