Civilian Deaths Up by 27 percent in second quarter of 2019: UN

The conflict in Afghanistan continues to have a devastating impact on civilians, with the latest UN update released Tuesday documenting 3,812 civilian casualties (1,366 deaths and 2,446 injured) in the first half of 2019.

The conflict in Afghanistan continues to have a devastating impact on civilians, with the latest UN update released Tuesday documenting 3,812 civilian casualties (1,366 deaths and 2,446 injured) in the first half of 2019.
While the number of civilians killed and injured is 27 per cent down from the same period in 2018, the UN notes with concern disturbing patterns such as the 27 per cent increase in civilian deaths in the second quarter of 2019 compared with the first.

According to the report, UNAMA acknowledges that parties have announced efforts to reduce civilian casualties, but they are insufficient. More must be done.
“Everyone heard the message loud and clear from Afghan delegates in the Doha talks – ‘reduce civilian casualties to zero!’” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, who is also the head of UNAMA.

Anti-Government Elements (AGEs) continued to cause the majority of civilian casualties, said the report.
Ground engagements remained the leading cause of civilian casualties, causing one-third of the overall total, albeit a 16 per cent decrease compared to the first half of 2018. The use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), mainly in non-suicide attacks, was the second leading cause, representing 28 per cent of the total. Civilian casualties from aerial operations amounted to 14 per cent.

UNAMA attributed 52 per cent of all civilian casualties to AGEs, with 38 per cent attributed to Taliban, 11 percent to Daesh and 3 per cent to unidentified AGEs.
UN documented 985 civilian casualties (306 deaths and 679 injured) from AGE attacks that deliberately targeted civilians.
According to the report, during the first six months of 2019, UNAMA attributed 1,397 civilian casualties (717 deaths and 680 injured) to Pro-Government Forces, a 31 per cent increase from the corresponding period in 2018.

Aerial operations caused 519 civilian casualties (363 deaths and 156 injured), 150 of which were child casualties (89 deaths and 61 injured).
UNAMA attributed 83 percent of the civilian casualties resulting from aerial operations to International Military Forces, nine per cent to the Afghan Air Force, and the remaining eight percent to undetermined PGFs.

Child casualties represented almost one-third of the overall total of civilian casualties, with 327 deaths and 880 injured, the report added.