For the seventh year in a row, a record number of civilians were killed and wounded in Afghanistan in 2015, four percent more than the previous year, the United Nations said Sunday.
An increase in fighting between Western-backed government forces and insurgent groups like the Taliban resulted in 3,545 civilian fatalities and 7,457 injuries last year, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its annual report of civilian casualties.
Ground engagements around populated areas became more intense due to international troop withdrawal, and suicide attacks in major cities also increased, UNAMA said, reported The New York Times. There were two particular developments responsible for much of the increase in casualties: Large numbers of people were killed and wounded in the northern city of Kunduz, which the Taliban captured briefly in September, and suicide bombings in the capital of Kabul also surged.
Civilian casualties actually decreased in most parts of Afghanistan in 2015, said Danielle Bell, director of the U.N. human rights program in Afghanistan, according to Reuters.
Fighting on the ground killed the largest number of civilians, 37 percent, while 21 percent were killed by roadside bombs and 17 percent in suicide attacks.
There were an unprecedented number of women and children casualties - a 37 percent increase for women and a 14 percent increase for children.
The Taliban and other anti-government groups were blamed for 62 percent of civilian deaths, though the Taliban was responsible for 10 percent less than in 2014.
On the other hand, 28 percent more civilians were killed by pro-government security forces compared to the previous year, the report said. "Pro-government forces caused 1,854 civilian casualties. While this accounts for 17 percent of the total, it all represents a 28 percent increase compared to 2014," said Bell.
International forces killed 103 civilians and wounded 67, according to the report.
"The report references commitments made by all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, however, the figures documented in 2015 reflect a disconnect between commitments made and the harsh reality on the ground," said Bell, according to Reuters. "The expectation of continued fighting in the coming months combined with the current levels of civilian casualties, demonstrate the critical need for immediate steps to be taken by all parties to the conflict to prevent harm to civilians."
