Source: UNAMA
A newly released UN report notes that civilian deaths in Afghanistan continue to increase. According to a BBC article highlighting the report, the number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan “so far this year has risen by 24% compared with the same period last year.” During the first six months of this year “[m]ore than 1,000 people were killed.”
Although the UN report attributes the majority of deaths to insurgent groups, it notes that government-allied forces were responsble for two-thirds of the casualties. The large number of civilian deaths resulting from airstrikes continues to be troubling. The new commander of both US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley MacChrystal, declared in June that minimizing civilian casualties must be a priority. The number of deaths, however, has yet to decrease. In fact, the report warns that the number of civilian deaths will likely continue rising in light of the upcoming elections and the U.S. troop increase.
More needs to be done to reduce the number of Afghan civilians killed. The high number of civilian deaths only increases the level of insecurity and does little to “win the hearts and minds” of the Afghan people.
Click here to read the BBC News article on the UN report.
