Afghanistan’s civilian death toll rising: UN report

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 10 (APP):Afghan civilians continue to die in record numbers, according to a new report released Wednesday by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
According to the quarterly update on protection of civilians, 8,050 civilians died or were
wounded between January and September, with use of suicide bombings and other improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) by anti-government elements, accounting for almost half the casualties.
“Every civilian death leaves a family devastated, grieving and struggling to come to terms
with the loss, and each civilian injured or maimed causes untold suffering,” Danielle Bell, the head
of UNAMA’s human rights office, said in a statement.
Across the country, Nangarhar, Kabul, Helmand, Ghazni and Faryab provinces recorded the highest number civilian casualties, and for the first time, Nangarhar surpassed the capital Kabul in
terms of highest number of deaths and injuries.
“The worrying rise in civilian casualties in Nangarhar reflects an unacceptable trend that is indicative of how Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of this ongoing conflict,” Ms. Bell added.
The report also found that ground engagements were the second leading cause of civilian casualties, after suicide attacks and IEDs. This was followed by targeted and deliberate killings,
aerial operations and explosive remnants of war.
Of grave concern was the increasing direct targeting of civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, noted the report.
Actions by pro-Government forces resulted in 761 civilian deaths and 992 injures, while 231 civilians perished and 602 were injured in crossfire between opposing fighters.
In a news release, the top UN official in Afghanistan reiterated his call for an immediate and peaceful settlement to the conflict to end the suffering of the Afghan people.
“There can be no military solution to the fighting in Afghanistan,” Tadamichi Yamamoto,
the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the country and the head of UNAMA, said.
“All parties can and should do their utmost to protect civilians from harm, including by making
concrete progress toward peace.”
UNAMA also called on all anti-government elements to “immediately cease” the deliberate targeting of civilians, particularly with the use of illegal and indiscriminate IEDs, and underscored the need on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law, at all times, to protect civilians
from harm.