A/HRC/24/46 3. Kurdish armed groups 34. Armed violence flared in Kurdish areas in the north-east, where the role of local militias in the conflict grew. Prioritizing their neutrality and the protection of Kurdish localities, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) clashed with both government forces and anti-government armed groups. There was a spike in tensions with radical anti-government armed groups. Intra-Kurdish disputes also arose. C. Socioeconomic and humanitarian context 35. Since January 2013, the number of refugees has grown from approximately 600,000 to more than 1.85 million. 36. The influx fuelled tensions between refugees and their host communities. In refugee camps, women and girls are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, forced marriage and trafficking. There are increasing incidents of domestic violence. Hardships compelled some refugees to return to the Syrian Arab Republic. 37. Oil exports decreased, partly owing to sanctions. Some oil fields are now controlled by opposition forces, including those affiliated with Al-Qaida, which benefit from sales.4 The manufacturing sector contracted owing to both the destruction of factories and sanctions. The burning of crops and the disruption of agriculture raised prices of goods, including flour. 38. Notwithstanding the ever-growing number of people in need of urgent assistance, the Government and some anti-government armed groups obstructed the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Despite security constraints, some cross-line deliveries of aid were made, but were insufficient to meet the ever-growing needs of the affected population. Some locations remained inaccessible. Some 2.8 million people are in need inside the country. The situation is particularly dire in besieged areas of Aleppo, Homs and Damascus. 39. United Nations aid agencies have estimated that $3.1 billion is needed to aid the affected population, in the Syrian Arab Republic and in neighbouring countries, until the end of 2013. Only half the pledges made at the international donors’ conference held in Kuwait in January 2013 have been fulfilled. III. Violations concerning the treatment of civilians and hors de combat fighters Massacres and other unlawful killing 5 A. 40. Individuals were regularly killed in contravention of international law, which criminalizes both murder and execution without due process. International human rights law prohibits arbitrary deprivation of life. Common article 3 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits execution without previous judgement pronounced by regularly constituted courts affording judicial guarantees. 4 5 In May 2013, the European Union voted to lift sanctions to allow other opposition groups to sell the oil they control. See also annex II. 7