Afghan war has caused over 100,000 civilian casualties since 2009: UN
Iran Press TV
Thursday, 26 December 2019 6:53 PM
The United Nations says more than 100,000 civilians have been killed or injured over the past decade across Afghanistan, as it renews calls for an end to the longest US military intervention.
"I recognize with extreme sadness that civilian casualties recently surpassed 100,000 in the past 10 years alone, from the time the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) began systematic documentation of civilian casualties," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN's special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement on Thursday.
Yamamoto lamented that the war continues to take an appalling toll on civilians. He urged all stakeholders to seek ways to reduce levels of violence to prevent civilian casualties, saying it will also help create an environment to further efforts aimed at starting intra-Afghan negotiations to find a political settlement to the war.
"The United Nations urges those participating in all peace efforts to consider the millions of ordinary Afghans, especially the victims of the conflict, who want a chance to live in peace so they can rebuild their lives."
Earlier this year, the UN reported that an "unprecedented" number of civilians had been killed or wounded in Afghanistan from July 1 to September 30 this year, saying there had been 1,174 deaths and 3,139 injuries in that period.
A UN tally found that last year was the deadliest on record, with at least 3,804 civilian deaths caused by the war -- including 927 children.
UNAMA has previously blamed both the US military and the Taliban for a spike in civilian deaths in Afghanistan. In its annual report, UNAMA said that civilian deaths in 2018 had increased 11 percent compared to 2017, with 3,804 people killed, including 927 children.
The developments come as United States is trying to negotiate an agreement with the Taliban to end the war.
The negotiation process had resumed earlier this month after a suspension of three months before the United States paused it again citing a major Taliban attack on the largest American military base in Afghanistan.
But the Taliban want Washington to sign an agreement on the withdrawal of all US and coalition troops from Afghanistan before the militant group commits itself to a nationwide ceasefire and participate in intra-Afghan negotiations.
The US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 and overthrew a Taliban regime in power at the time. But US forces have remained bogged down there through the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and now Donald Trump.
Nearly two decades on, Washington is seeking a truce with the militants, who now control or have influence in about half of Afghanistan's territory.
The US-led war has since reportedly killed more than 150,000 people, including local security forces, civilians, insurgents and foreign troops. Thousands of US soldiers and their allies have also been killed.
The conflict has cost the Untied States around a trillion dollars.
Nearly 20,000 foreign troops, most of them Americans, are currently deployed in Afghanistan as part of a mission to purportedly train, assist, and advise Afghan security forces.
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