I. Executive Summary:
In March 2014, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) recorded at least 15 attacks on vital facilities, distributed according to the perpetrator party as follows:
A. Government forces: 11
B. ISIS: Two
C. Parties that SNHR were unable to identify the perpetrator: Two
The most notable vital facilities targeted in March:
Seven places of worship, one school, two medical facilities, one ambulance, three markets, and one hotel.
If the Security Council is unable to compel the parties to the conflict to implement its resolution 2139 of February 22, 2014, which provides for putting an end to “the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas, including artillery and aerial bombardments, such as the use of barrel bombs”, that the Security Council should exert at least minimal pressure on government forces mainly to stop targeting vital community centers, such as schools, hospitals, markets, bakeries, and religious places.
In this report, the SNHR sheds light on the attacks on vital facilities that the network was able to document. We emphasize that the attacks documented account for the bare minimum of attacks actually carried out due to the many practical obstacles encountered in our documentation process.
As a result of its investigations, SNHR confirms that there were no military headquarters in the facilities included in this report, either before or during the attack. Government forces and other perpetrators must justify their attacks to the United Nations and the Security Council.