Syria death toll near 70,000

Combined news services

UNITED NATIONS -- The death toll in Syria is probably approaching 70,000, up almost 10,000 from the start of the year, and civilians are paying the price for the UN Security Council's lack of action to end the conflict, the UN human rights chief said yesterday.

Navi Pillay, high commissioner for human rights, repeated her call for the 15-member council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court to send a message to both parties in the conflict that there will be consequences for their actions.

The death toll is "probably now approaching 70,000," Pillay said in a council debate on protection of civilians in armed conflict. On Jan. 2, Pillay said more than 60,000 people had been killed during the revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"The lack of consensus on Syria and the resulting inaction has been disastrous and civilians on all sides have paid the price," Pillay said. "We will be judged against the tragedy that has unfolded before our eyes."

In Syria, rebels captured a small military base near Aleppo on Tuesday and stormed another in the same area that protects a major airport, a day after seizing Syria's largest dam. Opposition fighters appear to be regaining some momentum, expanding their northern zone of control while at the same time pushing deeper into the heart of the capital, Damascus.

World powers are divided on how to stop the escalating violence. The Security Council is unlikely to refer the matter to The Hague court, which is not an official UN body.

Russia and China have acted as Syria's protector on the council by repeatedly blocking Western efforts to take stronger UN action, such as sanctions, against the Syrian government to try to end the war.

Syria's Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari repeated accusations that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, the United States and other Western governments support the rebels.