The United Nations warned Monday that Afghanistan could see the highestnumber of civilian link deathslink in more than a decade if the Talibanlink offensiveslink the country are not halted.
Violence has surged since early May when the insurgents cranked upoperations to coincide with a final withdrawal of US-led foreign forces.
In a report released Monday documenting civilianlink casualties for the first half of2021, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it expectedfigures to touch their highest single-year levels since the mission beganreporting over a decade ago.
It also warned that Afghan link troops andpro-government forces were responsible for a quarter of all civilianlink.
“Unprecedented numbers of Afghan linkwill perish and be maimed this year if the increasing violence is notstemmed,” UNAMA head Deborah Lyons said in a statement released with thereport.
“I implore the Taliban link and Afghanlink to take heed to the conflict’sgrim and chilling trajectory and its devastating impact on civilians.”
During the first half of 2021, some 1,659 civilians were killed and another3,254 wounded — a 47 percent increase compared with the same period lastyear, the UNAMA report said.
The rise in civilian link casualties wasparticularly sharp in May and June — the initial period of the Talibanlink current offensiveslink — with 783 civilians killed and1,609 wounded, it added.
“Particularly shocking and of deep concern is that women, boys and girlsmade up of close to half of all civilianlink,” the report said.
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UNAMA blamed anti-government elements for 64 percent of civilianlink — including some 40percent caused by the Taliban link andnearly nine percent by the jihadist Islamic State group.
About 16 percent of casualties were caused by “undetermined”anti-government elements.
But Afghan link troops and pro-governmentforces were responsible for 25 percent, it said.
UNAMA said about 11 percent of casualties were caused by “crossfire” andthe responsible parties could not be determined.
The Taliban link ongoing assault hasseen the insurgents capture half of Afghanistan’s districts and bordercrossings as well as encircle several provincial capitals.
The fighting is largely in the rugged countryside, where government forcesand insurgents clash daily.
UNAMA also noted a resurgence of sectarian attacks against the country’sShiite Hazara community, resulting in 143 deathslink. -APP/AFP
