DAMASCUS
Niraj Singh, a member of a UN delegation of observers working in Syria to monitor the cease-fire plan of joint UN and Arab League special envoy on Syria Kofi Annan, on Tuesday said that the UN observers were submitting daily reports to Annan.
Speaking to the press at the Sheraton Hotel in Damascus, Singh said that, while they did not know when the first phase of the UN observers' report would be published, they submitted daily reports to Annan.
The observers on Monday monitored the situation in the cities of Duma, Haresta and Zabadani. The observers talked with the local people and took notes, Singh also said.
A UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect on April 12, but although the overall level of violence has dropped since then, President Bashar al-Assad's government has been accused of failing to abide by key terms of the truce plan, including pulling all forces from urban areas and allowing peaceful demonstrations.
The UN currently has 11 unarmed observers under its Supervision Mission to Syria (UNSMIS). The UN passed a resolution on April 14 for a total of 30, then another resolution last Saturday to increase the number to 300.
Mr Annan, the UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, has said he believes the deployment of the 300 monitors can begin next week.
The UN says about 9,000 people have died since pro-democracy protests began in March 2011. In February, the Syrian government put the death toll at 3,838 - 2,493 civilians and 1,345 security forces personnel.
