2,200 civilians killed and wounded in 1st quarter of 2017

KABUL (Pajhwok): Nearly 2,200 civilians have been killed and wounded during the first three months of 2017, showing a rare decline in civilian casualties, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its quarterly report released last week.

Civilian causalities caused by the war in Afghanistan had been on the increase every year since 2012. As many as 15,000 people have been killed and wounded in Afghanistan since 2009.

Fist three months of 2017

The UNAMA report released on Thursday said 715 people were killed and 1,466 wounded in conflict-related violence in the first three months of 2017, showing four percent decline in civilian causalities compared to the same period in 2016. There was two percent decline in the killing and five percent decline in injures to civilians.

However, the UN mission linked the slight fall in casualties to a 19 percent reduction in civilian deaths and injuries caused by ground engagements between pro-government forces and rebels.

Of every 13 people, eight were killed and wounded in militant attacks, three in pro-government militia attacks, and one each in clashes between security forces and militants and explosions.

 From geographical angle, Kabul province witnessed more casualties due to suicide attacks and coordinated armed attacks. After Kabul, Helmand, Kandahar, Nangarhar and Uruzgan were the provinces where more civilians were killed and wounded.

The period from January to March saw a 24 percent spike in casualties among women and a three percent increase for children.

A two percent decrease was recorded in casualties attributed to Afghan security forces and their Western allies, but the report documented a “substantial” and “disturbing” increase in casualties from aistrikes.

The UNAMA report claimed three percent increase in child casualties in the first three months of 2017 when 210 children were killed and 525 wounded. Airstrikes, explosions were main causes of the increase in children casualties this year.

“It is civilians, with increasing numbers of women and children, who far too often bear the brunt of the conflict,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the secretary-general’s special representative.

“With the so-called fighting season imminent, I appeal to all parties to take every measure possible to prevent unnecessary and unacceptable harm to Afghan civilians.”

The Taliban have not yet commented about the UNAMA report.

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