We, a group of human rights and civil society activists, both inside and outside Syrian territory, are issuing an urgent appeal to all humanitarian organizations worldwide to draw attention to the ongoing tragedy in the Syrian coastal region, including Tartus, Banias, Safita, Al-Dreikish, Al-Qadmus, and Latakia, as well as the devastated rural areas of Hama and Homs. This follows the massacres that took place on March 6, 7, 8& 9, 2025, which claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians, including children, women, the elderly, and men, predominantly from the Alawite community. The death toll remains uncertain due to the presence of mass graves, missing persons, and the displacement of affected families to neighboring villages or Lebanon, where over 10,000 civilians have sought refuge. Additionally, thousands are currently sheltering at the Hmeimim military airbase in Latakia, where Russian forces are stationed, with estimates exceeding 10,000 civilians.
According to the “Human Rights and Humanitarian Follow-up Committee,” 2,100 civilians have been killed extrajudicially, and the “Syrian Observatory for Human Rights” has documented 50 massacres as of March 17, 2025. Some of the documented violations include extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, systematic forced displacement, home seizures, hate speech, sectarian-based verbal abuse, torture, arson of homes and agricultural lands, theft of personal property (including furniture, money, gold, mobile phones, and food), looting of crops, destruction of shops, and theft of olive presses. Furthermore, educational and health facilities, including hospitals, have been rendered inoperable, leaving the Syrian coast and the rural areas of Homs and Hama in a state of humanitarian catastrophe. These violations continue to this day.
As civil society and human rights activists, working through limited relief organizations, licensed local associations, or individual initiatives, we have attempted to unify efforts and coordinate humanitarian initiatives to assist affected families. However, the scale of the crisis far exceeds our limited local capacities, especially as most Syrians inside Syria live below the poverty line, exacerbated by the mass arbitrary dismissals of public sector employees.
Thousands of homes in the rural areas of Latakia, Tartus, Banias, and Hama have been looted and burned, particularly in villages that witnessed horrific massacres. These communities are in dire need of organized, sustainable, and large-scale humanitarian intervention. We deeply acknowledge and appreciate the significant efforts and support provided by the United Nations to Syrians over the past years, and we are confident in your continued commitment to assisting those in need. Therefore, we call on you to:
1. Declare the Syrian coast and the rural areas of Homs and Hama as humanitarian disaster zones.
2. Ensure the United Nations implements a sustained, large-scale humanitarian intervention in these areas.
3. Ensure the UN intervention includes protection measures, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and long-term support programs.
4. Coordinate with civil society and involve local associations in the affected areas to work together, unify efforts, and pool resources for a coordinated and comprehensive response, as local entities are trusted and known to the affected populations and victims’ families.
5. Establish community committees in affected villages and areas, composed of trusted local figures, to assist in monitoring, assessment, response, and oversight.
6. Dispatch an independent international investigation committee to investigate all violations that have occurred in the affected areas.
7. Send international monitoring committees to prevent further violations and halt the shedding of Syrian blood.
We hope for a prompt response to these legitimate demands to address the catastrophe facing civilians in the Syrian coastal region.
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