Almost 93,000 people were killed in Syria's conflict by the end of April this year, but the true number could be "potentially much higher", the United Nations human rights office says. This represents a rise of more than 30,000 since the UN last issued figures covering the period to November 2012. At least 5,000 people have been dying in Syria every month since last July, the UN's human rights body says.
"The constant flow of killings continues at shockingly high levels," said Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights. "This is most likely a minimum casualty figure. The true number of those killed is potentially much higher." "They are killed, they are maimed, they are recruited, they are detained, they are tortured", she told journalists in New York.
The report accused Syrian troops of torturing children suspected of having links to rebel groups. The UN has not had much access to Syria, and therefore has been unable to count bodies. Instead, the body did a statistical survey. The sharpest increases in deaths since November 2012 were recorded in the governorates which surround Damascus and Aleppo with 6,200 and 4,800 new documented deaths respectively.
G8 leaders are expected to discuss a coordinated response to the Syrian conflict, and how to bring the rival sides together at a peace conference. The Obama administration is meeting this week on whether to arm the Syrian rebels, a topic that Kerry said he discussed with Hague.
"The constant flow of killings continues at shockingly high levels," said Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights. "This is most likely a minimum casualty figure. The true number of those killed is potentially much higher." "They are killed, they are maimed, they are recruited, they are detained, they are tortured", she told journalists in New York.
The report accused Syrian troops of torturing children suspected of having links to rebel groups. The UN has not had much access to Syria, and therefore has been unable to count bodies. Instead, the body did a statistical survey. The sharpest increases in deaths since November 2012 were recorded in the governorates which surround Damascus and Aleppo with 6,200 and 4,800 new documented deaths respectively.
G8 leaders are expected to discuss a coordinated response to the Syrian conflict, and how to bring the rival sides together at a peace conference. The Obama administration is meeting this week on whether to arm the Syrian rebels, a topic that Kerry said he discussed with Hague.
