UN: big rise in number of Afghan civilians killed
Updated on 10 August 2010
The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan has gone up by almost a third in the first half of this year - according to the United Nations. It says the Taliban is responsible for most of the deaths and injuries.
The report by the UN's mission in Afghanistan - said 1,271 civilians had died in conflict-related incidents in the last six months - and said that women and children were "increasingly bearing the brunt of the conflict."
Out of almost two and a half thousand civilian deaths and injuries - 76 per cent were blamed on the insurgents - up from 53 per cent for the same period in 2009.
The report says that 176 children were killed as a result of the war and 389 were wounded - 55 per cent higher than the first six months of 2009.
The report also revealed that this year had been the worst period for civilian casualties since the conflict began nine years ago.
But deaths and injuries attributed to NATO and Afghan government forces fell to 12 per cent - considerably less than the 30 per cent figure from a year ago.
NATO says the findings revealed the success of its drive to reduce civilian casualties through the directive by former commander General Stanley McChrystal to limit the use of air strikes.
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His successor, General David Petraeus, has continued to enforce the same tactics. He said today that "every Afghan death diminishes our cause", and pledged that allied forces would "redouble our efforts to prevent insurgents from harming their neighbours."
But Stefan De Mistura, the UN's senior envoy in Afghanistan said bloodshed was still rising. "We are worried. We are very concerned about the future because the human cost is being paid too heavily by civilians. This report is a wake-up call," he said.
As the UN was giving its briefing this morning, three Afghan civilians were killed near the eastern city of Ghazni when their car hit a roadside bomb. Another civilian died after an insurgent device went off in Kandahar.
Mr De Mistura said the Taliban were using larger, more sophisticated bombs. He warned "if they want to be part of a future Afghanistan, they cannot do so over the bodies of so many civilians."
Although the insurgents have ordered their fighters to avoid civilian casualties, anyone considered to be allied with the Afghan Government is considered a target.
