Off the wire
• Fiji congratulates Tuvalu on 37th independence anniversary  • Catholic church to fight child abuse in Sydney  • Spotlight: Int'l community hails Xi's policy announcements at UN Summit series  • News Analysis: China gives fresh support for new-energy cars  • 1st LD Writethru: India inducts its largest-ever warship INS Kochi into its Navy  • Urgent: India commissions its largest-ever warship INS Kochi into Navy  • Fixtures of 2015 FIBA Asia Championship  • Vietnam to compete at Military World Games  • Chinese FM urges seizing opportunity to politically solve Syrian crisis  • S. Korea regrets DPRK's blast of Park, threats of dropping family reunion  
You are here: 　 Home

UN calls on warring sides to protect civilians in Afghanistan's Kunduz city

Xinhua, September 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called upon warring sides in the Afghan northern Kunduz city to protect the lives and properties of civilians.

"As the situation unfolds in Kunduz, the United Nations in Afghanistan reminds all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians from harm and to respect human rights at all times," said a statement of the entity released here Wednesday.

Taliban militants overran the northern Kunduz city 250 km north of Kabul on Monday and the armed insurgents, according to locals, have systematically abused human rights including arbitrary killing of people, looting shops, robbery and dishonouring women including nurses in hospitals.

"The reports of extrajudicial executions, including of healthcare workers, abductions, denial of medical care and restrictions on movement out of the city are particularly disturbing," the UNAMA statement added.

The statement added that preliminary information indicates that the current fighting has caused more than 100 civilian deaths and injuries, and there are concerns the number of casualties will rise. In addition, the United Nations has received reports that up to 6,000 civilians have fled the city due to the fighting.

"I am deeply concerned about the situation in Kunduz following the Taliban's attack on the city," said Nicholas Haysom, the secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, in the statement.

Afghan government launched counter-offensive on Tuesday to recapture the strategically important Kunduz city, and since then heavy clash has been continuing. Endi