News Center —Security chaos and the unchecked spread of weapons continue to fuel violence across Syria, with women and children continue to bear the heaviest burdenas a result of family disputes, sectarian and criminal attacks, and stray gunfire. War remnants and landmines continue to claim civilian lives indiscriminately. in various parts of the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) documented a series of incidents occurring between July 1 and July 22, which resulted in the deaths of 16 children, 10 women, and an unborn fetus—underscoring of worsening security neglect and the absence of effective civilian protection measures.

These incidents ranged from criminal and domestic offenses involving stabbings, hangings, or shootings arising from personal disputes, to attacks of a sectarian nature targeting civilians inside their homes. This comes alongside casualties caused by stray bullets and the accidental firearm discharge. Furthermore, war remnants and landmines continued to claim lives in rural areas, in addition to deaths occurring under mysterious circumstances or during security raids.

SOHR recorded a chain of violent incidents impacting women and children across different parts of the country: Among the documented incidents were the death of a child by a stray bullet in Al-Asharah, followed by the fatal stabbing of a child in Damascus, the killing of a woman during a family dispute in Al-Qasimiyah, and a child succumbing to injuries from an explosion near the Palace of Justice. Additionally, a minor was killed in tribal clashes in Hajin, a woman was stabbed to death in Latakia, three stabbing victims were found in Daraya, a child was killed by a landmine explosion in As-Swaida and a young girl was burned by her uncle in As-Swaida

In other areas, a woman was killed by stray gunfire in Qamhana, a murdered girl was found in Ras al-Ayn (Sere Kaniyeh), and a child died after being hit by a bullet discharged from his father's weapon in Jayrud/Duma (Dumeir). Furthermore, a woman and her unborn child were killed during a security raid in Hafeer al-Fouqa. Another woman was killed during a family altercation in Al-Hasakah city, the body of an unidentified woman was found in the countryside of Damascus, a child was killed by hanging in Atme, and a woman and her two children were subjected to an armed attack in Homs.

In Daraa, the young girl Farah Al-Hamoud was found dead following her abduction, while a child was killed by a landmine explosion in the Raqqa countryside. The latest reported incident involved the death of a young woman who was shot under mysterious circumstances in Al-Raha, in As-Swaida.

On July 23, the Syrian Observatory renewed its call for an urgent end to the state of security chaos and arms proliferation across Syria. It urged the effective protection measures and called for holding perpetrators of crimes and violations against civilians accountable ensuring perpetrators do not enjoy impunity, and protecting women and children, who continue to bear the greatest burden amid the absence of the rule of law.