United Nations announces first official death toll in Syria since 2014
September 25, 2021, 4:27 am

United Nations announces first official death toll in Syria since 2014

Syria war

The BBC reported, the UN says in its first official death toll since 2014, at least 350,209 people have been killed in 10 years of war in Syria.

The BBC said, UN human rights chief cautioned the figure is "certainly an under-count of the actual number of killings".

A leading but unofficial UK-based monitoring group recently put the death toll at over 606,000.

The BBC said, the UN officially stopped counting deaths in the conflict in January 2014 because it had become impossible to accurately document the constantly growing toll, relying as it had been on the co-operation of a diminishing number of non-governmental groups on the ground to do so.

In March this year, when the war reached its tenth year, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) requested the human rights office resume trying to determine the number of people killed.

Reporting to the HRC on Friday, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said "complex and painstaking work" had established that 350,209 identified individuals - civilians and combatants - had been killed between March 2011 and March 2021.

Ms Bachelet said of those deaths, women accounted for about eight per cent, as did children.

"Behind each recorded death was a human being, born free and equal, in dignity and rights," she said. "We must always make victims' stories visible, both individually and collectively, because the injustice and horror of each of these deaths should compel us to action."

Ms Bachelet pointed out that the headline figure was not "a complete number of conflict-related killings... indicates a minimum verifiable number, and is certainly an under-count of the actual number of killings".

She said records with only partial information had been excluded from the toll, indicating a wider number of killings which have yet to be documented, along with many other cases where victims have been killed without a trace.

BBC correspondent Bethany Bell says establishing the true scale of deaths is a complicated and difficult undertaking, but UN officials say it is crucial to enable people to seek accountability.

It is also part of efforts to account for the huge number of missing people, a cause of anguish and uncertainty for families and communities, she adds.

Earlier this year, UN investigators said tens of thousands of civilians were still unaccounted for after being detained arbitrarily during the war.

Thousands more had been tortured or killed in custody, according to their report detailing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.