Dispatches: Afghanistan’s Daily Horror of Civilian Casualties - Patricia Gossman, hrw

Things are getting worse in Afghanistan.

This won’t be news to those who suffer the daily horror of suicide attacks, bombings, kidnappings, and other atrocities. But the latest six-monthly report by the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) makes grim reading all the same. It charts a record-setting rise in civilian deaths and injuries, including a 37 percent rise in casualties among women, and a 14 percent rise among children. In 2015, one in four victims of the armed conflict was a child.

Civilian casualties from government military operations have also risen. This raises concerns that as Afghan armed forces’ ground engagements and air attacks increase, not all necessary precautions are being taken to minimize civilian harm. There is no evidence that commanders responsible for abuses are being held accountable.

The government should also stop arming militias, including national “uprising” forces, which fall outside the regular chain of command. Such militias have a dismal record of abuse, and they have exacerbated tensions rather than provide security for the civilian population. - Read More at the HRW

Dispatches: Afghanistan’s Daily Horror of Civilian Casualties

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