Aid Groups and UN Say Crimes Against Humanity "Are the Rule" in Syria

Pleading for access to civilians

Aid groups and United Nations officials are pleading with the Syrian government and armed opposition groups to allow access to unarmed civilians, saying crimes against humanity "are the rule" as fighting rages on in the Syrian civil war.

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonovi? told members of the U.N. Security Council Tuesday the conflict is claiming about 5,000 lives a month and that there are documented cases of children being detained, tortured and executed. He said the number of incidents that can be classified as massacres has been steadily increasing.