Civilian casualties

Year Civilians

killed

Civilians injured

Total civilian casualties

2020 1Q – 2Q 1 282 2 176 3 458

2019 3 403 6 989 10 392

2018 3 804 7 189 10 993

2017 3 440 7 019 10 459

2016 3 527 7 925 11 452

2015 3 565 7 470 11 035

2014 3 701 6 834 10 535

2013 2 969 5 669 8 638

2012 2 769 4 821 7 590

2011 3 133 4 709 7 842

2010 2 794 4 368 7 162

2009 2 412 3 557 5 969

Figure 2. Source: UNAMA Protection of civilians in armed conflict

In 2019, UNAMA documented 10 392 civilian casualties, including 3 403 deaths and 6 989 injured as a result of the armed conflict, with a 5 % decrease compared to 2018. This decrease was due to the reduction in civilian casualties caused by the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), while civilian casualties caused by other actors increased, notably by the Taliban and International military forces.²⁶⁹

264 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 30-3; 89

265 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of civilians in armed conflict, midyear report: 1 January – 30 June 2020, 27 July 2020, url, p. 4; 7

266 Tolonews, 100 of civilian casualties caused by unexploded ordnance in 2019, 20 February 2020, url

267 NYT, Afghan War Casualty Report: June 7-13, 13 June 2019, url

268 Salaam Times, Unexploded mortar shell kills 7 children in Laghman 15 April 2019, url

269 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 5

The third quarter of 2019 was ‘particularly violent’, registering ‘the highest number of civilian casualties of any quarter since UNAMA began systematic documentation in 2009’. The main factors of such as a spike in civilian casualties were suicide and non-suicide IED attacks by AGEs, primarily by the Taliban, along with election-related violence. In the first half of 2019, the number of civilian casualties attributed to pro-government forces was higher than the one caused by AGEs; this is ‘a trend that UNAMA had not documented before 2019’.²⁷⁰

According to UNAMA, in 2019, Anti-Government Elements (AGEs), were responsible for 62 % of civilian casualties including 47 % caused by the Taliban and 12 % by ISKP and the remaining 3 % to undetermined and other AGEs. IEDs used by AGEs in both suicide and non-suicide attacks remained the leading cause of civilian casualties in 2019 at 42 %.²⁷¹ UNAMA indicated that 10 % of the overall civilian casualties in 2019 were caused by air strikes, with majority (72 %) attributed to international military forces. According to UNAMA, 28 % of the civilian casualties in 2019 were caused by pro-government forces, including 16 % by ANSF, around 8 % by international military forces, nearly 2 % by pro-government armed groups, and just under 3 % by undetermined or multiple pro-government forces.²⁷²

Pro-government armed groups caused 184 civilian casualties including 102 deaths and 82 injured in 57 incidents and were responsible for seven conflict-related abductions throughout 2019. This represents a 2 % increase in civilian casualties caused by pro-government armed groups compared to 2018 and doubled compared to 2017. Civilian casualties caused by pro-government armed groups occurred mainly in the context of ground engagements (40 %) and search operations (34 %). The majority of these casualties were caused by Khost Protection Force and Shaheen Forces in Paktia, Paktika and Ghazni provinces, while the remaining civilian casualties mainly occurred in Takhar and Baghlan provinces.²⁷³ In 2019, UNAMA verified 12 incidents involving 25 civilian deaths as a result of operations by Khost Protection Force. This shows a significant decrease compared to 2018.²⁷⁴ The majority of civilian deaths attributed to the Khost Protection Force were caused by intentional shooting, mostly during search operations.²⁷⁵ In 2019, UNAMA attributed 559 civilian casualties including 227 deaths and 786 injured to international military forces.²⁷⁶

In 2019, AGEs were the continuing cause of the majority of civilian casualties through indiscriminate and deliberate targeting of civilians, in violation of international humanitarian law. In its annual report on civilian protection, UNAMA documented 10 392 civilian casualties in 2019²⁷⁷; of those, 6 447 civilian casualties (1 668 killed and 4 779 injured) were attributed to AGEs²⁷⁸, in particular 76 % to the Taliban, 19 % to ISIL-KP, and 5 % to undetermined AGEs.²⁷⁹

As a reaction to the figures released by UNAMA in their 2020 annual report, the Taliban published a statement on their official website, Voice of Jihad, rejecting the UNAMA reporting as ‘completely discriminatory’. Citing data by their special commission mandated to collect, register and prevent civilian casualties, the Taliban claimed that 83 % of all civilian casualties in 2019 were caused by the US and Afghan government forces, contrary to what stated by UNAMA.²⁸⁰

SIGAR cited RS (Resolute Support) reporting 1 268 civilian casualties in Afghanistan during the first quarter (1 January – 31 March) of 2020, with 32 % decrease compared to the last quarter (1 October

-270 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, pp. 5-6

271 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 6

272 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, pp. 8, 10

273 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 56

274 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p 57-58

275 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 57

276 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 53

277 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, pp. 5-6

278 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 32

279 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020,, url, p. 33

280 Voice of Jihad, Reaction by spokesman of Islamic Emirate towards civilian casualty report by UNAMA, 23 February 2020, url

31 December) of 2019. RS reportedly attributed 88 % of the civilian casualties to AGEs, including the Taliban that caused 37 %, ISKP 10 %, and unknown insurgents 41 %. According to SIGAR RS attributed another 7 % to pro-government forces, including 6 % to ANDSF and 1 % to International military forces, and 5 % to other or unknown forces.²⁸¹

Between 25 and 29 June 2020, AIHRC reported several security incidents in different provinces of Afghanistan that resulted in civilian casualties including the recent attack [29 June 2020] in old Bazar of Sangin district in Helmand province where in a rocket attack 27 civilians have been killed and 35 injured.²⁸²

During the first quarter of 2020, the conflict in Afghanistan continued to be one of the deadliest in the world for civilians.²⁸³ Between 1 January and 30 June 2020, UNAMA documented 3 458 civilian casualties including 1 282 deaths and 2 176 injured, with a 13 % decrease compared to the same period in 2019.²⁸⁴ This overall decrease was due to the significant drop in civilian casualties caused by air strikes by international forces and reduced activity by ISKP.²⁸⁵ At the same time, during the first quarter of 2020, UNAMA stated to be ‘gravely concerned with the acceleration in violence observed in March 2020, mainly by the Taliban against Afghan national security forces, and the consequent increase in the number of civilian casualties and harm caused, particularly in the northern and north-eastern regions’.²⁸⁶ According to SIGAR, during the second quarter of 2020, civilian casualties increased by nearly 60 % compared to the first quarter of the year, and by 18 % compared to the same period in 2019.²⁸⁷

Following the signing of the US-Taliban agreement in Doha, various sources reported a spike in violence and civilian casualties.²⁸⁸ Despite periods of reduction in violence, during the first six months of 2020, violence has continued, with civilians bearing the brunt.²⁸⁹ A report by the co-Director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), Kate Clark, concluded that ‘the only civilians to have benefitted from the US-Taleban deal appear to be those living in Taleban-controlled areas’ where the US and Afghan forces took a ‘defensive stance’ and stopped air strikes and night raids; while elsewhere many civilians have seen renewed attacks by the Taliban, among fear of ‘possible intensifying conflict’.²⁹⁰ UNAMA reported that, during the first six months of 2020, pro-government forces were responsible for 28 % of all civilian casualties and remained responsible for more child deaths than AGEs.²⁹¹ International military forces were responsible for 3 % of overall civilian casualties.²⁹² During the same period, AGEs continued to be responsible for the majority of civilian casualties, with a total 58 %; of which 43 % were attributed to the Taliban, 9 % to ISIL-KP and 6 % to undetermined AGEs.²⁹³

281 SIGAR, Quarterly Report To The United States Congress, 30 April 2020 , url, p. 69

282 AIHRC, Civilian casualties in the cattle market in Sangin district of Helmand province and in some other provinces of the country, 30 June 2020, url

283 UNAMA, Afghanistan, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, first quarter report: 1 January – 31 March 2020, April 2020, url, p. 1

284 UNAMA, Afghanistan, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, midyear report: 1 January – 30 June 2020, 27 July 2020, url, p. 3

285 UNAMA, Afghanistan, Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Midyear Report: 1 January - 30 June 2020, 27 July 2020, url, pp. 3-4

286 UNAMA, Afghanistan, Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, First Quarter Report: 1 January- 31 March 2020, June 2020, url, pp. 1, 3

287 SIGAR, Quarterly Report To The United States Congress, 30 July 2020, url, p. 65

288 AAN, Voices from the Districts, the Violence Mapped (1): What has happened since the reduction in violence ended?, 21 March 2020, url; Washington Post (The), Afghanistan’s civilian casualties rise following U.S.-Taliban peace deal, 19 March 2020, url; NYT, Afghan Deaths Pile Up in Uncertainty Over U.S. Deal With Taliban, 27 June 2020, url

289 UNAMA, Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Midyear Report: 1 January - 30 June 2020, 27 July 2020, url, p. 3

290 Clark, K., Voices from the Districts, the Violence Mapped (2): Assessing the conflict a month after the US-Taleban agreement, AAN, 8 April 2020, url

291 UNAMA, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, midyear report: 1 January – 30 June 2020, 27 July 2020, url, p. 14

292 UNAMA, Protection of civilians in armed conflict, midyear report: 1 January – 30 June 2020, 27 July 2020, url, p. 7

293 UNAMA, Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Midyear Report: 1 January - 30 June 2020, 27 July 2020, url, p. 8

Commenting on this latest reporting by UNAMA during an interview with EASO, on 27 July 2020, co-Director at the AAN Kate Clark noted that ‘government forces do not always discriminate in their targeting, as seen in the recent UNAMA Protection of Civilians midyear report which detailed civilian casualties resulting from indirect fire and air strikes. The ANSF have never taken civilian casualties seriously. They have never done proper investigations and compensation. There is rarely any disciplinary action.’²⁹⁴