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As the Syrian Regime continues its scorched earth policy of killing, destroying, Terrorizing the helpless civilians, and burning what’s left of Syria; the Syrian regime is now dropping barrel bombs day and night in civilians areas, condensed neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and homes.

These barrel bombs are being dropped indiscriminately without having any specific target. Furthermore; the free fall of the barrel bomb can cause a huge considerable impact that can shatter a glass from a kilometer away not to mention the surrounding and near houses.

On April 14, 2014, the only operating field hospital in the village of Kahil East of Daraa city announced receiving polio vaccine. Before even treating any child from this newly emerging epidemic, Syrian regime forces warplane struck the clinic with a 500 Tons explosive barrel killing 4 people including a nurse that was working that day, a child and his mother, and a young kid. The assault also wounded ten other citizens most of them are women and children.

Airstrikes using barrels bombs have been the new weapon of choice for the Syrian regime and they are being used to exterminate civilians who happen to live in opposition controlled areas. In the month of April DCHRS documented 231 casualties who were killed in the Daraa province, 76 of which were killed by explosive barrels. In addition 44 were killed by torture to death in the Syrian forces prisons and secret detentions. The number of barrels bombs which hit Daraa from April 1st until mid-April are 105 explosive barrels. The number might be higher because some areas are under sieged which in turns hinder the documentation process among activists.

Beginning from April 20 2014, the Syrian regime escalated its attack against the village of An-N’iema, which is located east of the city of Daraa in Daraa Province. Moreover, Regime forces began an offense by dropping barrel bombs throughout the night to the early morning against An-N’iema and sourrounding villages for the next three days. On April 23rd at 11:00 PM, the Syrian regime began an airstrike assault by dropping six barrel bombs consecutively against An-N’iema village; destroying homes, public buildings, and infrastructure of the city.

At the same night, the warplanes headed to Daraa city and struck two barrels bombs in Al-Arba’ien neighborhood causing such huge damage to the Al-Arba’ien high school and the electricity grid which runs that neighborhood.

The Syrian regime targeted some of the archaeological sites in Daraa such as the ancient city of Bosra Ash-Sham, which was declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Furthermore the Syrian regime targeted the city’s cemetery and destroyed the ancient mosque of "Mabrak An-Naka mosque", which is considered one of the most important historical sites for the Muslims in Daraa Province.

During the day, residents of Daraa province used to escape to the farms and the hills away from shelling, airstrikes, and barrel bombs. But now the regime is dropping these barrels bombs at night deliberately to kill the civilians who attempt to escape. It is already difficult for civilians to escape during the night to seek protection since they forced to flee their homes during the day. Residents began to expect death under shelling every minute while being unable to offer any form of protections for their children.

Since the 20th of April until today’s date, the regime is still dropping barrel bombs during the night, and shelling during the day with mortar shells and rocket launchers. DCHRS condemns in the strongest terms the crimes committed by the Syrian regime against the civilian gatherings, condensed neighborhoods, villages, and cities by using explosive barrels. DCHRS considers using explosive barrels daily as violations of international laws, agreements, and conventions. Therefore, DCHRS demands protecting civilians according to the laws approved by the U.N in 2005. In addition since DCHRS is a member of the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP), DCHRS appeals to the international community to practically enforce the "Responsibility to Protect". Furthermore DCHRS calls all the international medical and humanitarian organizations to provide support, medical assistance, and relief to ease the suffering of the Syrian people inside Syria and abroad. Finally DCHRS demands to prosecute the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity and to bring them to justice.

Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies (DCHRS) – Southern region local office

1-5-2014.

The following map shows the locations that was struck with Barrel Bombs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information, please contact
Dr. Radwan Ziadeh, Executive director of the Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies.
Phone (571) 205-3590
Email : radwan.ziadeh@gmail.com

Mr. Mojahed Ghadban, Communication Officer.
Telephone (479) 799-8115
Email: info@dchrs.org

DCHRS is an independent, non-governmental organization, established in 2005, located in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Its mission is to foster a spirit of support and respect for the values and standards of human rights in Syria. As such, DCHRS recognizes and adheres to all pertinent international human rights agreements and declarations issued by the UN.

DCHRS is a member of the following international networks:

• International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
• Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN)
• NGO Coalition for the international Criminal Court
• International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP)
• International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC)

DCHRS worked on a variety of documentation projects. Such projects included daily casualty reports, massacre reports, and other human rights violations reports. Also DCHRS has been working on advocacy and lobbying in different human rights institutions in order to educate and acknowledge about the deteriorating human rights situation in Syria.. After the launch of the Syrian revolution, the center increased its activities through working, communicating, and coordinating with many members and activists. Thus the center began documenting daily violations committed by the Syrian regime forces that can be classified as crimes against humanities and war crimes. Such violations included: extrajudicial killings, massacres, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, rape, torture in prisons. DCHRS opened local offices in Syria in order to document, collect, and observe human rights violations on the ground. DCHRS submitted those reports to many international and regional human rights organizations and communicated with the Report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic on Syria.