By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) – At least 350,209 people have been killed in the decade-old war in Syria, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday in its first report since 2014 on the death toll, adding that the tally was an “undercount”.

This figure is inclusive of civilians as well as combatants. It was compiled using strict methodology that requires the complete name and date of the death.

Michelle Bachelet, U.N. High Commission for Human Rights, stated that she had compiled a list containing 350,209 names of people who were killed during the conflict in Syria from March 2011 through March 2021.

She said that one in 13 victims was either a girl or a boy.

She said, “It is a minimum verifyable number and it certainly under-counts the actual number of murders.”

According to her, the office was developing a statistical model that would provide more information and allow for accountability.

Aleppo governorate saw 51.731 deaths. It was long held by opposition forces and became an important flashpoint during the conflict.

This war, which erupted from President Bashar Al-Assad’s control, led to the worst refugee crisis in history. Syria’s neighbor countries host more than 1 million people, but 5.6million Syrian refugees are being hosted by them.

Assad is now in control of most of Syria. However, significant territories remain out of his reach. Turkish forces have been deployed in large parts of northern Syria. This area was once the main bastion for anti-Assad rebels. U.S forces also operate in Kurdish-controlled areas of northeast and east.

Bachelet reported in her August 2014 update that 191,369 had died in the conflict.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 500,000 civilians have died in war. It is currently examining another 200,000 cases.

Rami Abdurrahman from the British-based organization, said to Reuters that “it is very difficult for me to give a figure close to real life.” There are many names, and documentation is needed to verify them.

Karen Koning AbuZayd (a member of U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria), told the council on Thursday, that government forces continue to use incommunicado and unlawful detentions.

It is not the right time to believe that Syria can be a place where its refugees will return. “The war against Syrian civilians goes on,” she stated.