Afghanistan – About 3,804 Afghan civilians are killed during various incidents in the country, depicting 11 percent increase in 2018, United Nations cites on a report released today.
The UN report documented 3,804 civilian deaths including 927 children, the highest recorded numbers of boys and girls killed in various conflicts within the year.
In total, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 10,993 civilian causalities, of which 3,804 reported dead and the further 7,189 wounded. The statistic depict a five percent increase in overall civilian causalities and an 11 percent increase in civilian deaths overtopping 2017’s report.
According to UNAMA, majority of civilian causalities, with at least 65 percent, attributed to Anti-Government Elements (AGEs) and 37 percent to Taliban and other armed insurgents, making it the highest number of civilian casualties ever recorded from suicide attacks and aerial operations.
“The report’s rigorously researched findings show that the level of harm and suffering inflicted on civilians in Afghanistan is deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. “All parties need to take immediate and additional concrete steps to stop a further escalation in the number of civilians harmed and lives destroyed.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the ongoing war and security threats in the country claimed an unprecedented numbers of civilians, causing physical and psychological impacts.
“The conflict in Afghanistan continues to kill far too many civilians and has caused long-lasting suffering, both physical and psychological, to countless others,” said Bachelet.
Bachelet added. “So I call on all parties to the conflict to fully respect international humanitarian and international human rights law to protect the lives of all civilians.”
According to the report, majority of the victims come after terrorist attacks, including the Taliban and Daesh militants in the county.
