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2nd LD Writethru: 1,592 civilians killed in Afghanistan in first half: UNAMA

Xinhua, August 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Some 1,592 Afghan civilians were killed as a result of armed conflicts and war in the first half of this year, a UN mission here said in its mid-year report released on Wednesday.

The report, titled "Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan for 2015" and prepared by the Human Rights Unit of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has blamed the Taliban and other anti-government elements for most of the deaths.

"Between 1 January and 30 June 2015, UNAMA documented 4,921 civilian casualties (1,592 civilians deaths and 3,329 injured)," the report said.

The report has highlighted a 6 percent decrease in civilians' death and 4 percent increase in civilian's injuries when compared with the same period last year.

"These figures amount to an overall 1 percent increase in civilian casualties compared to the first six months of 2014, and the highest number of total civilian casualties compared to the same period in previous years," the report noted.

"Thousands of civilians killed and injured from conflict- related violence in the first six months of 2015 demonstrate the continued failure of parties to the conflict to protect civilians from harm," the report noted while urging Afghan government and the Taliban to take meaningful measures to protect the civilian population.

The report has attributed 70 percent of the casualties in the first six months to the Taliban and other insurgent groups, while 16 percent were attributed to security forces (15 percent to Afghan national security forces and pro-government armed groups and 1 percent to international military forces).

Some 10 percent of civilian casualties were unattributed while the rest 4 percent of casualties were caused by explosive remnants of war, according to the report.

The UN mission started to monitor the situation of civilians and to coordinate efforts to ensure their protection in 2009.

More than 19,360 civilians were killed and over 33,000 others wounded from Jan. 1, 2009 to June 30 this year, according to the report. Endi