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UN: Afghan Civilian Casualties Drop By 13%, Lowest Since 2012

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - The United Nations says that civilian casualties in
   conflict-torn Afghanistan have dropped by 13% in the first half of the
   year, the lowest figure since 2012, attributing it mainly to a scale
   back in operations by U.S.-led international military forces and
   Islamic State terrorists.
   The decrease follows a landmark agreement the United States and the
   Taliban insurgency sealed in February to end the nearly 19-year-old
   Afghan war, America's longest.
   In its new midyear report released Monday, by the U.N. Assistance
   Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) it had recorded nearly 3,500 civilian
   casualties, including 1,282 deaths, blaming mostly the Taliban and
   Afghan national security forces for the bloodshed.

   "The overall number of civilian casualties represents a 13% decrease as
   compared to the same period last year, and the lowest figure since
   2012," the report said.

   "UNAMA welcomes the reduction, but notes that it was mainly due to a
   drop in civilian casualties attributed to the international military
   forces as well as to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant --
   Khorasan Province (ISIL-KPO)," said UNAMA, using an acronym for the
   Afghan branch of Islamic State.
   "The main reason for the lower number of civilian casualties is due to
   a reduction in operations by international military forces and the
   Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant--Khorasan Province," said UNAMA,
   using an acronym for the Afghan branch of Islamic State.
   The report noted that Afghan national security forces were responsible
   for causing 23 percent of the total number of civilian casualties,
   representing a nine percent increase.
   "Civilian casualties from airstrikes by the Afghan air force during the
   first six months of 2020 have tripled as compared to the same time
   period in 2019 Pro-government forces remained responsible for most
   child deaths," it said.
   UNAMA attributed a total of 58 percent civilian casualties to
   anti-government forces, with the Taliban responsible for killing and
   injuring 1,473 of them, which represents 43 per cent of the total
   number of harm inflicted on civilians.
   Deborah Lyons, the head of UNAMA, while referring to the U.S.-led push
   for Afghan peace called on warring sides to avail what she described as
   a "historic opportunity" to come to the table and negotiate a political
   settlement.
   "I urge the parties to pause, to reflect on the chilling incidents and
   the harm that they are causing to the Afghan people as documented in
   this report, and to take decisive action to stop the carnage and get to
   the negotiating table," said Lyons.
   The UNAMA report lamented that women and children continue to be
   disproportionately affected by the direct and indirect impacts of the
   Afghan armed conflict, comprising more than 40 per cent of the total
   civilian casualties.
   It said that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has drastically reduced
   the ability of victims to recover, making it even more imperative for
   the parties to the conflict to reduce the violence.

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