A/HRC/21/50 international community. The security situation has hindered the capacity of aid workers to assist the population in need. The two humanitarian assistance appeals for refugees in neighboring countries and the internally displaced persons and others in need inside the Syrian Arab Republic are only funded to 20 per cent.9 III. Findings 37. While the commission focused on most serious violations of human rights, it wishes to note the overall deteriorating human rights situation. In addition to the right to life and the right to liberty and personal security, other fundamental human rights continue to be violated. Increased violence has further restricted the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, which had initially sparked the March 2011 uprising. The Syrian population is generally deprived of basic economic, social and cultural rights. As it noted in previous reports, the commission remains gravely concerned at the prevailing climate of impunity for violations of human rights law. A. Casualties 38. Information provided by the Government indicates that, as at 9 July 2012, 7,928 people, including Government forces and civilians, had been killed as a result of the unrest. 39. Other entities, in particular Syrian non-governmental organizations and opposition groups, including local coordinating committees, the Centre for Documentation of Violations in Syria, the Syrian Network for Human Rights and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, are also counting casualties by employing a variety of methods. The numbers they report range from 17,000 to 22,000. The commission was unable to confirm these figures. 40. The commission recorded numerous casualties resulting from incidents across the country. It reports the deaths only of those persons about which it has first-hand information through interviews conducted by its investigators. In the commission‘s figures, no distinction is made between civilians and fighters. Injured persons are not included. The commission, through interviews of victims and witnesses of events from 15 February to 20 July, confirmed 840 deaths. B. Special inquiry into Al-Houla 41. The commission delivered its preliminary findings (A/HRC/20/CRP.1) to the Human Rights Council on 27 June 2012, based on evidence gathered up until 22 June. In its report, the commission concluded that the Government was responsible for the deaths of civilians as a result of shelling the Al-Houla area and, particularly, Taldou village. It also found that the Government‘s investigation fell short of international human rights standards. With regard to the deliberate killing of civilians, the commission was unable to determine the identity of the perpetrators. Nevertheless, it considered that forces loyal to the Government were likely to have been responsible for many of the deaths. 42. Access to the country was not granted despite specific requests addressed to the Government in a note verbale dated 4 June 2012 (annex I) and in person by the chairperson 9 10 ―Critical funding shortage threatens humanitarian response for Syria – UN official‖, UN News Centre, 16 July 2012.