UN reports rise in women, children casualties in Afghan war

Afghanistan - The total number of casualties in the almost 14-year conflict was up one per cent in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year, a new UN report said. However, the number of women casualties rose by 23 per cent and children 13 per cent.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that an increasing number of women and children were getting hurt or killed in Afghanistan's war against the Taleban and other insurgents.
The total number of casualties in the almost 14-year conflict was up one percent in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year, a new UN report said. However, the number of women casualties rose by 23 per cent and children 13 per cent.
Danielle Bell, director of the Human Rights Unit at the UN's Assistant Mission in Afghanistan, said the alarming rise in casualties among women and children was due to ground fighting. UNAMA attributed 70 per cent of civilian casualties to insurgent forces.
She said the UN was not able to verify whether the Taleban were using civilians as human shields, but that a large number of casualties caused by pro-government troops stemmed from exchange of fire in residential areas.
Afghanistan's security forces have been fighting the Taleban alone since the withdrawal of US and international combat troops last year. The Taleban have sought to take advantage by escalating their attacks, spreading their footprint from the south and east to the north, and joining forces with other insurgent groups.
Afghan officials have said other insurgent groups, as well as the Islamic State group - which controls about one-third of Syria and Iraq and has a small but growing presence in Afghanistan - have joined the anti-government war.
The UNAMA report said 4,921 civilian deaths and injuries were recorded in the first half of this year.
"The vast majority, or 90 percent, of all civilians casualties resulted from ground engagements, improvised explosive devices, complex and suicide attacks and targeted killings," it said.
 

• MENA