The United Nations on Monday launched two media campaigns to protect humanitarian workers under the title “Not a target” and another one calling for protecting civilians in Syria. A rights group said that 10,204 civilians were killed in Syria in 2017.
In a statement, the UN said that civilians and humanitarian workers are not targets, stressing that civilians must be spared the fighting. It added: “Help protect civilians be in battles and conflicts.”
On August 6, the United Nations condemned attacks by the Assad regime and its allies in Idlib province. UN Secretary General spokesman Farhan Haq called for the protection of civilians.
In its 15th report issued in March of this year, the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said that deliberate attacks against civilians in Syria continued.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) earlier said that at least 10,204 civilians were killed in Syria 2017. In its annual report issued on January 1, 2018, the Network said that the victims included 2,098 children and 1,536 women despite the announcement of a cessation of hostilities under the so-called ‘de-escalation zones agreement.’
The Network pointed out that Assad regime forces bear the greatest responsibility for crimes against civilians, followed by the international anti-ISIS coalition forces.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Syria said that civilians, humanitarian workers, services providers and health workers must not be a target.
Activists in Idlib province said that a woman and a girl were killed in shelling on the towns of Al-Tih and Tahtaya, just two days following brutal airstrikes that targeted the provinces of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo killing dozens of people, including children and women. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
