KABUL, Afghanistan, July 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts, as 1,366 civilians were killed and 2,446 others injured, in conflict-related incidents, in the first half of this year, a UN mission said today (Tuesday).
“While the number of civilians killed and injured is 27 percent down from the same period in 2018, the year that saw record-high numbers of recorded civilian casualties, the UN notes with concern disturbing patterns, such as the 27 percent increase in civilian deaths in the second quarter of 2019, compared with the first,” UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said, in a statement, citing its mid-year report.
The UN welcomed the reduction in civilian casualties from Jan 1 to June 30 this year, but continues to regard the level of harm done to civilians as shocking and unacceptable, the statement read.
“UNAMA acknowledges that, parties have announced efforts to reduce civilian casualties, but they are insufficient. More must be done,” the statement noted.
“Everyone heard the message loud and clear, from Afghan delegates in the Doha talks, ‘reduce civilian casualties to zero!'” Tadamichi Yamamoto, special UN envoy and head of UNAMA, was quoted in the statement as saying.
According to the statement, ground fighting and engagements remained the leading cause of civilian casualties, followed by the use of improvised explosive devices (IED’s), mainly in non-suicide attacks.
“Women continue to be disproportionately impacted by the armed conflict. Up to June 30, the conflict caused 430 women casualties (144 deaths and 286 injured), a decrease of 22 percent compared to the same period in 2018,” the statement said.
During the period, 327 children were killed and 880 were wounded, and “children continue to comprise the vast majority – 84 percent – of all civilian casualties from explosive remnants of war.”
The mission attributed 52 percent of civilian casualties to the Taliban and other insurgent groups, 37 percent to security forces, while the rest were unattributed or caused by other reasons.– NNN-XINHUA
