Afghan conflict takes increasing toll on civilians in 2013 – UN
UN, 01 August 2013: The number of Afghan civilians killed or injured in the first
half of 2013 rose by 23 per cent compared to the same period last year, owing mainly
to the increased use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by insurgents, according
to a United Nations report released on Wednesday.
The mid-year report on the
protection of civilians, produced by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, documented
1,319 civilian deaths and 2,533 injuries – a total of 3,852 civilian casualties –
in the first half of 2013.
This marks an increase of 14 per cent in deaths
and 28 per cent in injuries over the same period in 2012, the Mission stated in a
news release. The increase reverses the decline recorded in 2012, and marks a return
to the high numbers of civilian deaths and injuries documented in 2011.
“The
violent impact of the conflict on Afghan civilians marked by the return of rising
civilian casualties in 2013 demands even greater commitment and further efforts by
parties to the conflict to protect civilians who are increasingly being killed and
injured in the crossfire,” said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and
head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Ján Kubiš.
“The increase
in the indiscriminate use of IEDs and the deliberate targeting of civilians by anti-Government
elements is particularly alarming and must stop,” he added.
The second biggest
cause of civilian deaths and injuries were “ground engagements” between Afghan security
forces and anti-Government elements, which the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan(UNAMA)
said poses an increasing threat to Afghan children, women and men.
“The growing
loss of life and injuries to Afghan women and children in 2013 is particularly disturbing,”
said UNAMA’s Director of Human Rights, Georgette Gagnon. “Deaths and injuries to women
and children increased by 38 per cent in the first half of 2013 reflecting a grim
reality of the conflict today in Afghanistan.” Source: UN