The United Nations said Tuesday that well over 7,500 people have been killed in the brutal Syrian crackdown amid new international demands for the Damascus government to allow humanitarian access. France urged Russia and China to back a UN Security Council resolution on halting the bloodshed and getting rescue aid into protest cities.
Russia and China have vetoed two resolutions on Syria, but appear to be softening their stance. Tentative contacts on a new resolution started as UN political chief B. Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council "well over 7,500" people have now been killed in the 11 month old campaign by President Bashar al-Assad to end protests. Pascoe said the international community's failure to "stop the carnage" was encouraging the Syrian government to believe that it can act with "impunity."
"There are now credible reports that the death toll now often exceeds 100 civilians a day, including many women and children. The total is certainly well over 7,500," he told the council. Some 25,000 refugees are now registered with the UN in countries around Syria and between 100,000 and 200,000 are now internally displaced, the official added.