The neighbours are drowning

At least 3,419 people died last year trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Most were fleeing Syria and Eritrea.

The UK Government has withdrawn support for Mediterranean search and rescue.

Protest in London on Saturday.
31 January, 2-5pm, at the Home Office, 2 Marsham St, London SW1P 4DF.

Read more: Three ways to save Syrian refugees.

Two out of every five civilians killed in 2014 could have been saved by a No-Fly Zone

• 42% of all civilians killed in 2014 were victims of Assad air attacks.

Of 17,582 civilians confirmed killed in 2014, 7,559 were recorded killed by air attacks according to the Violations Documentation Center in Syria. 163 of those were killed by the US-led Coalition air attacks, meaning 7,396 were killed by Regime air attacks: 42% of all civilians killed.

That minimum number of civilians killed in Syria in under four months by the US-led Coalition is now greater than the number of civilians killed by NATO’s seven month campaign in Libya (40 to 115). Unlike NATO’s Libya campaign, the US-led air campaign in Syria is not primarily intended to protect civilians.

• Over 95% of all the people killed by Assad air attacks in 2014 were civilians.

Total deaths by air attacks confirmed by the VDC in 2014 amounted to 7,954 people of which 227 were killed by the US-led Coalition, meaning 7,727 were killed by Assad regime air strikes. Only 395 were combatants, just under 5% of the overall total. 64 of those combatants were killed by the US-led Coalition, leaving 331 combatants killed by Assad regime air attacks,

For 2014, VDC list 17,369 civilians killed under ‘martyrs’ and 213 civilians killed under ‘regime’. VDC numbers are minimum counts of confirmed violent deaths and are likely to be significantly lower than the true totals. The UN minimum count up to the end of April 2014 shows over 80,000 more people killed than the VDC total for the same period.

Air attacks: 2014’s biggest killer of women and children

Over half the women and children killed in Syria last year could have been saved by a No-Fly Zone.



Of all violent deaths of women and children confirmed by the Violations Documentation Center in Syria, a majority were victims of attacks by Assad’s air force.

Of women killed, 50.9% were killed by Regime air attacks.

Of girls killed, 55.5% were killed by Regime air attacks.

Of boys killed, 50.6% were killed by Regime air attacks.

VDC numbers are a minimum count of confirmed killed, and show a major undercount when compared to UN minimum figures. They do however provide details on individual deaths not publicly available from other documenting groups. Their online database allows sorting by date, gender, cause of death, and more.

Below are the results from their database used to calculate the above percentages. Note that they list women and children both under “Martyrs” and “Regime fatalities”.

Adult women total victims: 1920+128=2048
Adult women victims of Regime air attacks: 1043
Adult women victims of Coalition air attacks: 2

Girl children total victims: 1144+91=1235
Girl children victims of Regime air attacks: 685
Girl children victims of Coalition air attacks: 5

Boy children total victims: 2384+150=2534
Boy children victims of Regime air attacks: 1283
Boy children victims of Coalition air attacks: 12

Thanks to Lopforum for inspiring this post.

The number of civilians killed in Syria since 2011 is greater than the number of British civilians killed in the Second World War

For the entire conflict, the Violations Documentation Center in Syria has recorded 78,867 civilians killed to date, greater than the recorded number of British civilians killed in the Second World War.

The VDC is unable to record all violent deaths. By comparing their numbers to the UN’s most recent minimum count, it appears the true figure of civilians violently killed in Syria since March 2011 may well be over 137,000. All violent deaths, civilian and military, are now well over 200,000.

The UN’s minimum count of 191,369 violent deaths to the end of April 2014 was greater than Iraq Body Count’s number for total violent deaths in Iraq in the ten years from 2003 to 2013: 174,000 including combatants.

The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2139 in February of last year, demanding amongst other measures an end to aerial bombing of civilian areas. Enforcement of the resolution has been blocked by permanent member Russia, the principle supplier of arms and aircraft to Assad’s air force.

Individual states enjoying the privilege of UN Security Council membership now have a responsibility to act: specifically France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These three states have the proven ability to stop the Assad regime’s air attacks against civilians almost immediately. Their New Year’s resolution should now be to enforce the old year’s resolution.

Action is justified, in the words used by then Defence Minister George Robertson in the 1999 Parliamentary debate on the UK’s Kosovo intervention, “as an exceptional measure in support of purposes laid down by the UN Security Council, but without the Council's express authorisation.” Whether individually or collectively, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, must act now to stop this slaughter.

Protect civilians. Enforce UN Security Council Resolution 2139. Syria needs a No-Fly Zone.

• Photo: Firemen at work in bomb damaged street in London, after Saturday night raid, circa 1941. Source: US National Archives.