Reports noted that the UN and Arab League peace envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, embarked on a regional tour aimed at finding a solution to the Syrian conflict, after Damascus rejected a UN call for a unilateral ceasefire. Brahimi’s tour included Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. He is expected to visit Damascus later this week if talks in other countries prove productive. 1

In another development, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said that the violence in Syria has so far killed at least 33,082 people, most of them civilians. The group has pointed out that the actual toll may be well higher than the quoted figure, which does not include unidentified and missing victims, or those in believed to be in detention. 2

• 1. “Brahimi to visit Iraq over Syria crisis”, The Daily Star, October 14, 2012 at http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Oct-14/191375-brahimi-...
• 2. “Jordan plans new refugee camp for Syrians”, The Daily Star, October 14, 2012 at http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Oct-14/191368-jordan-p...