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(Image source: The New York Times / Tomas Munita)
BY NICHOLE CARTMELL
As the fighting continues in Syria, the death toll continues to rise. The U.N. reported
at least 93,000 people have been killed in Syria since the start of the civil war.
This number shows an increase of 30,000 since the U.N. last reported on the issue in November
2012. And since the start of December, just under 27,000 new killings were recorded. (Via
Channel 5)
The Syrian conflict has also seen a large increase in the average monthly number of
killings. In the summer of 2011 the average was about 1,000 per month. That average has
jumped to more than 5,000 since July 2012. (Via BBC)
The U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights points out its not just militants who are
dying, but civilians and children as well. As many as 6,561 children have been killed,
a number she calls "unbearable." (Via Xinhua)
President Bashar al-Assad's government forces have been battling rebels since March 2011.
The fear now is that this conflict will spread into a region-wide conflict. Just last week,
Syrian rebels captured a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the only
crossing linking Syria and Israel. (Via Channel 4)
But how does the death toll in Syria compare to past conflicts in the region?
As many as 30,000 died in the Libyan civil war of 2011 — a death toll that far surpassed
that of any other nation in the Arab Spring. But the fighting in Libya lasted about only
eight months compared to the two-year battle in Syria. (Via US News and World Report)
How does Syria's death toll compare to one of history's most brutal civil wars? In about
a four year span more than 618,000 died in the U.S. Civil War. (Via Imperial War Museums)
The U.N. High Commissioner urges a ceasefire in Syria before any more are killed.