UN Report: Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan Up 22% in 2014

MatthewBrosseau/iStock/Thinkstock(KABUL, Afghanistan) — The number of Afghan civilians who were killed or wounded as a result of the ongoing conflict in their country rose 22 percent in 2014 from the prior year, mostly due to an increase in ground fighting, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced on Wednesday.

In its 2014 Annual Report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, UNAMA says there were 10,548 civilian casualties — 3,699 deaths and 6,849 injuries — in Afghanistan last year, marking the highest total recorded in a single year since 2009.

Another first since 2009: More civilian casualties were caused by ground engagements than by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or any other tactic. According to the 122-page report, civilian deaths and injuries from ground fighting jumped 54 percent in 2014, making it the leading cause of casualties.

“In communities across Afghanistan, increased ground fighting among parties to the conflict and more IED attacks exacted a heavy toll on Afghan civilians,” United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA Nicholas Haysom said in a statement. “Rising civilian deaths and injuries in 2014 attests to a failure to fulfil commitments to protect Afghan civilians from harm.”

“Parties to the conflict should understand the impact of their actions and take responsibility for them, uphold the values they claim to defend, and make protecting civilians their first priority,” Haysom added. “We need to see concrete steps and a real drop in civilian casualties in 2015.”

Since 2009, UNAMA says the conflict in Afghanistan has killed 17,774 civilians and injured 29,971 others.

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