Residents in other parts of the country, though, aren't so fortunate.

The death toll: Relentless carnage

The United Nations estimates more than 70,000 Syrians -- mostly civilians -- have been killed in the past two years.

At least 10,000 people have died since early January, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Wednesday. "That means more people have died in the first two months of this year than in the whole of the first year of the conflict," he said in remarks published online.

Though there is "no sign that the Assad regime currently intends to enter into a genuine political process," Hague said, securing "a diplomatic breakthrough remains of course our objective."

On Wednesday, at least 62 people were killed in the conflict, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition group.

But it's almost impossible to verify and keep up with the latest death figures. The Syrian government has severely restricted access by international journalists.

Dissidents say many of the civilians killed were caught in aerial attacks from warplanes -- unable to predict when the next bomb will strike.

The war started when al-Assad's forces cracked down on civilians demanding more freedoms and government reform. The president's family has ruled Syria for almost 43 years.

The violence led to an armed uprising and escalated into a civil war, with al-Assad trying to defend his rule against rebels demanding his ouster.

Throughout the war, a lingering quandary has prevented any progress between the government and dissidents.

Al-Assad has said he will not deal with "terrorists," a term the government often uses to describe the opposition.

Similarly, opposition members have said they will not work directly with al-Assad's "criminal" government, nor will they accept any plan that doesn't involve al-Assad's departure.

With neither rebels nor government troops backing down, it's unclear how many more thousands of civilians may die.