94Ha Viewpoint
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on the 8th, the conflict in Latakia and Tartus, the western coastal provinces of Syria, has killed more than 1,000 people, including 745 civilians.
On the 8th, Abdul-Mulla, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, and Balakrishnan, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syrian Crisis, issued a joint statement saying that since the 6th of this month, conflicts in Tartus, Latakia, Homs and Hama provinces in Syria have continued to escalate, and the regional situation is extremely unstable, with a large number of unconfirmed civilian casualties. The conflict directly affects local humanitarian operations, and all humanitarian operations in and out of the coastal areas of Syria have been suspended.
The statement urges all parties concerned to immediately cease hostilities and protect civilians, civilian infrastructure and rescue operations in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and ensure immediate, safe and unimpeded humanitarian assistance to those in need.
On the 6th of this month, Syrian transitional government personnel were attacked by armed personnel loyal to the former regime. A large number of armed forces of the Syrian transitional government subsequently launched a large-scale security operation.
