More than 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in violence last year, the United Nations said on Saturday.
It is the sixth year in a row that the number of civilian casualties has exceeded 10,000, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in its latest annual report.
The overall civilian toll last year of 3,403 deaths and 6,989 injured was five percent lower than the previous year, mainly due to a decrease in Islamic State attacks.
Taliban, Afghan and international forces caused higher number of casualties in 2019 and the militant group was responsible for 47 percent of all casualties.
Afghan national security forces caused 16 percent of civilian casualties while international forces caused 8 percent. IS was responsible for 12 percent of casualties.
The air campaign by international and government forces accounted for 10 percent of civilian casualties in 2019, with 700 people killed and 345 wounded, a 3 percent increase over the previous year.
Casualties among women increased by four percent to 1,202 (345 killed and 857 wounded). The number of child casualties – 874 killed and 2,275 wounded – was 3 percent higher than 2018.
“All parties to the conflict must comply with the key principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution to prevent civilian casualties,” said Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“Belligerents must take the necessary measures to prevent women, men, boys and girls from being killed by bombs, shells, rockets and improvised mines; to do otherwise is unacceptable.”
