UNAMA report shows sharp rise in casualties among Afghan civilians in first half of 2103
31 July 2013 – Afghanistan saw a 23 per cent rise in the number of civilian casualties over the first six months of 2013, the majority caused by the increased use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to the latest Mid-Year Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan, released today by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Download the full report in English
UNAMA documented 1,319 civilian deaths and 2,533 injuries in the first half of 2013, marking increases of 14 per cent in deaths and 28 per cent in injuries over the same period in 2012. This rise reverses the decline observed in 2012 and suggested a return to the trend of 2011 when high numbers of civilian deaths and injuries were documented.
The report attributes 74 per cent of all civil casualties to actions taken by Anti-Government Elements, a rise of 16 per cent over the same period last year 2012. Pro-Government forces were found responsible for nine percent of casualties, 12 per cent of the casualties were unattributed and resulted from ground engagements between Pro-Government Forces and Anti-Government Elements and the remaining five per cent were unattributed, resulting mostly from unexploded ordnance. The annual report prepared by UNAMA has been documenting the deaths and injuries of non-combatants since 2007.
“The violent impact of the conflict on Afghan civilians marked by the return of rising civilian casualties in 2013 demands even greater commitment and further efforts by parties to the conflict to better protect civilians who are increasingly being killed and injured in the cross-fire,” said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, Ján Kubiš. “The increase in the indiscriminate use of IEDs and the deliberate targeting of civilians by Anti-Government Elements is particularly alarming and must stop.”
Of the documented casualties, the report observes that the main factor driving the increase were the use of IEDs, responsible for 35 per cent of deaths and injuries. Altogether 443 civilians were killed and 917 were injured from IEDs, a 34 per cent increase over the same period in 2012. Tactics involving IEDs, including suicide and complex attacks, accounted for 52 per cent of all civilian casualties documented by UNAMA.
The second highest cause of the increase in civilian casualties was combat between Afghan armed forces and Anti-Government Elements, accounting for 25 per cent of all civilian casualties. The report documented 971 casualties from such action, a 42 per cent increase from 2012, including 207 civilian deaths and 764 injuries. Also noted were an increase in targeted killings, attacks against civilian Government workers and high levels of threats and intimidation, which the report attributed to Anti-Government Elements.
“The growing loss of life and injuries to Afghan women and children in 2013 is particularly disturbing,” said the Director of UNAMA’s Human Rights Unit, Georgette Gagnon. “Deaths and injuries to women and children increased by 38 per cent in the first half of 2013 reflecting a grim reality of the conflict today in Afghanistan.”
UNAMA has repeatedly condemned attacks which have led to civilian casualties and called for their halt, in addition to emphasizing that indiscriminate and deliberate targeting of civilians are violations of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.
The report notes a number of other troubling findings. For instance, conflict-related violence killed 106 women and injured another 241, an increase of 61 per cent over 2012. Ground engagements involving parties to the conflict were the leading cause for such casualties. Children too were frequent victims. Altogether there were 760 child casualties (231 killed, 529 injured), up 30 per cent from last year. IEDs, followed by ground engagements and unexploded ordinance (or abandoned explosive ordinance) were the leading causes of casualties.
Casualties by Anti-Government Elements perceived to be supporting the Government of Afghanistan also rose. The report notes that 262 such incidents occurred, with 312 killed and 131 injured, up 29 per cent from 2012.
Civilians working for the government were prime targets. UNAMA identified a 76 per cent increase in civilian casualties from Anti-Government Elements targeting Government employees, offices, district headquarters and other Government structures. In 103 recorded attacks, the report noted 114 civilians killed and 324 injured. Four attacks alone, against courthouses and judicial and prosecution staff, killed 57 and injured 145.