Source: NBC
The toll of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2016 has increased horrifically said the UN on Monday. More than 11,500 non-combatants — one third of them children — killed or wounded. The leading cause of casualty would be the constant fighting between Afghan security forces and militants, especially in populated areas, two years after NATO’s combat mission ended, said the UN, as they began documenting civilian casualties in 2009.
24% increase in a year, comprising of deaths of more than 3,500 children as the victims of war. This was mainly due to a 66 percent increase in casualties, most of whom were children, from unexploded ordnance. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said there were 11,418 civilian casualties (3,498 deaths and 7,920 injured), an increase of three percent over 2015. 2016 also saw the highest number yet of civilian casualties caused by air strikes — 590, of whom 250 were killed, the report said.
That is nearly double the number of 2015, with women and children in populated areas often the victims, such as near the northern provincial capital of Kunduz in October. However, 61% of the casualties were caused due to “anti-government elements”, mainly the Taliban, but also to the Islamic State group, while 24 percent were attributed to pro-government forces.