New U.N. report on Human Rights in Syria : Death toll has reached 93,000

The United Nations human rights office released a reportThursday stating the death toll in the Syrian conflict has reached93,000. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, this number is likely understated, as numerous conflict-related killings are likely to have been undocumented.

The previous U.N. figure released in mid-May was 80,000. According to the report, an average of over 5,000 people a month have been killed in Syria since July 2012. The greatest number of casualties have been reported in the areas surrounding Damascus as well as in Homs and Aleppo.

A global U.N. report on children and armed conflict noted that thousands of children have been killed since the start of the Syrian uprising in March 2011. The study reported that government and opposition forces were using children as “suicide bombers or human shields.” The report additionally claimed that Syrian troops have tortured children with suspected ties to rebel groups. Meanwhile, as Syrian government forces have begun an offensive in Aleppo, head Syrian opposition commander General Salim Idris has appealed to the United States, France, and Britain for antitank missiles, antiaircraft weapons, and ammunition, to prevent the fall of Aleppo to the regime.