Crime of War, Consequences of War—Afghanistan

Editing, brief comment by Carolyn Bennett

The United Nations today releases a disturbing report of Afghans taking deadly brunt of endless conflict.

With the 2010 figures of civilian death and injury, Dr Sima Samar, Chairperson of Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (translated from the Dari) brings home to the world the continuously deepening catastrophe perpetrated by the U.S.-led war on the people of Afghanistan and their future.

DEAD

2,777 civilians killed (in 2010), 15 percent increase over 2009

·       2,080 of these civilians were killed by the armed opposition process

·       440 were killed by NATO forces

·       257 civilians deaths could not be attributed

CHILDREN CASUALTIES: 372

·       322 by armed opposition forces

·       89 by NATO and Afghan forces

·       51 by other unknown forces

IEDs caused the majority of children casualties

WOMEN CASUALTIES: 233

·       175 of them by the armed opposition

·       57 by NATO and Afghan forces

·       31 by unknowns.

WOUNDED

Number of injuries (2010) inflicted on civilians: 4,440.

Overall total (est.): 7,720 people sustained wounds

·       5,444 victims wounded by armed opposition forces

·       480 wounded by the NATO and Afghan forces

·       358 by wounded unknown forces.

MEANS (2010) of killing/wounding

·       940 people affected by IEDs [improvised explosive devices]

·       257 by suicide bombings,

·       462 assassinated or abducted then assassinated — a 104 percent rise over 2009

·       477 armed oppositions.

Of 400 injuries —

·       171 were by air bomber planes, aerial attacks

·       80 by night searches

·       45 in increased activities in e.g., Kandahar and Helmand provinces

·       144 injuries by unknown actors

KIDNAPPING and abductions increased to 257 (87 percent increase)

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“Humanitarian law, in particular Article Three of the Geneva Convention, applies to all parties on the ground,” the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic said.

“Over the last four years, between 2007 and 2010,” he quoted from the report, “nearly 9,000 civilians have died in the conflict.” And it should go without having to say it, but he did, “the increase in number of civilians killed year after year is deeply disturbing.”

In over 30 years of armed conflict in Afghanistan, civilians have been the primary victims. Millions have died and there are new victims every day.

“War has robbed a generation of Afghans of their human rights, stunting social and economic development [life expectancy is 45 years, one of the lowest in the world], shutting off access to education and healthcare, and increasing poverty.”

Sources and notes

Press Conference — Kabul, Afghanistan, March 9, 2011, PRESS CONFERENCE (near verbatim transcript): Ivan Simonovic, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights; Dr Sima Samar, Chairperson of Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC); Staffan de Mistura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan; Georgette Gagnon, Director of UNAMA Human Rights, http://unama.unmissions.org/Portals/UNAMA/human%20rights/march092011_UNAMA%20PRESS%20CONFERENCE_TRANSCRIPT_ENG.pdf

UNAMA

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Strategic Communication and Spokespersons Unit, Kabul, Afghanistan

Through its human rights mandate from the UN Security Council, UNAMA monitors, investigates and reports on the situation of civilians affected by the ongoing conflict, advocates for improved protection, and promotes accountability, http://unama.unmissions.org

“Citing rising death toll, UN urges better protection of Afghan civilians,” UN News Center, March 9, 2011, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37715&Cr=Afghan&Cr1=#

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