More than 100 Afghan civilians were killed and many more injured in Afghanistan conflict in the 1-25 March period, thd United Nations said on Wednesday.
The period follows the signing of a peace deal between the United States and the Taliban on February 29.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said that a significant proportion of these civilian casualties were caused by Anti-Government Elements, such as in Wednesday ’s Islamic State (Khorasan Province)-claimed attack at a Sikh-Hindu temple in Kabul that killed and injured dozens of civilians, as well as the group’s 6 March attack at a commemoration in the capital that killed 34 civilians and injured scores more.
The Taliban has been responsible for a high number of civilian casualties, mainly from non-suicide improvised explosive devices and targeted killings, UNAMA said in a statement.
UNAMA noted fewer civilian casualties attributed to Afghan national security forces, but it said that it was seriously concerned by incidents such as the 21 March Afghan Air Force strike in Kunduz that killed 11, mainly women and children.
UNAMA urged all parties to further reduce levels of violence, to take all feasible measures to protect civilians and work towards a ceasefire and a lasting political settlement.
It emphasized that the best way to protect civilians from conflict and the evolving coronavirus health crisis is to stop the fighting altogether.
“The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war,” said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “That is why today, I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world… End the sickness of war and fight the disease that is ravaging our world. It starts by stopping the fighting everywhere. Now.”
