2. Regional description of the security situation in Afghanistan
2.12 Helmand
2.12.3 Recent security trends and impact on the civilian population
2.12.3.1 General
In 2019, UNAMA documented 675 civilian casualties (284 deaths and 391 injured) in Helmand province.
This represents a decrease of 23 % compared to 2019. Although the number of victims remains high, UNAMA reported that it has decreased since 2017, particularly in case of ground engagement victims.1576 Resolute Support recorded between 76 and 100 civilian casualties in Helmand in the first
1566 BBC, Taliban territory: Life in Afghanistan under the militants, 8 June 2017, url
1567 Quilty A., Static War: Helmand after the US Marines’ return, AAN, 23 April 2020, url
1568 Quilty A., Static War: Helmand after the US Marines’ return, AAN, 23 April 2020, url
1569 LWJ, Mapping Taliban Control in Afghanistan, n.d., url; LWJ, however, does not specify when and which information of the aforementioned map was last updated.
1570 Tolonews, Helmand’s Marjah Cleared of ‘Insurgents’ After Four Years, 1 December 2019, url; Military Times, US troops and A-10s return to Marjah fight, 3 December 2019, url
1571 Quilty A., Static War: Helmand after the US Marines’ return, AAN, 23 April 2020, url
1572 Bangkok Post, US begins military pullout from two Afghan bases 11 March 2020, url; Stars and Stripes, US troops have left bases in Helmand, Laghman provinces, officials say, 13 March 2020, url
1573 Military Times, US resumes airstrikes against Taliban to halt attack on Afghan forces, 04 March 2020, url
1574 LWJ, Afghan forces target al Qaeda commanders in Helmand and Nangarhar, 7 August 2018, url; Institute for the Study of War, Al Qaeda Expands its Presence in Afghanistan, 23 October 2019, url
1575 Diplomat (The), The Last 2 Sikhs in the Taliban’s Heartland, 26 September 2018, url
1576 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 69, 94
six months of 2020, with no variation in number between the first and second quarter of 2020.1577 According to UNAMA, leading causes of civilian casualties in 2019 were IEDs, air strikes, followed by ground engagements.1578
In the period from 1 March 2019 to 30 June 2020, ACLED reported total 1 650 incidents related to security in Helmand province: 1 154 battles, 474 remote violence, 22 cases of violence against civilians.1579
Figure 14. Helmand - Evolution of security events coded battles, explosions/remote violence and violence against civilians from 1 March 2019 to 30 June 2020, based on ACLED data1580
During the reporting period, the use of IEDs caused the most civilian casualties in the province.1581 For instance, on 25 March 2020 at least eight civilians were killed after the explosion of a roadside bomb in Musa Qala district.1582 On 31 March 2020, eight other civilians were killed in an explosion in Nahr-e Saraj district.1583 Although the Taliban claimed they usually issued a warning to local population about safety on the roads or closed the roads for traffic to reduce the number of civilians killed by IEDs, bombs on the roads still caused civilian casualties and limited the freedom of movement of local people.1584 On 22 September 2019, Afghan special forces conducted a raid supported by US air strikes against prominent Al Qaida fighters.1585 According to various sources, from 151586 to 401587 civilians were killed and at least 11 wounded when wedding procession was accidentally targeted. Most victims were women and children who participated in a wedding which was to take place in Musa Qala district.1588 According to Ministry of Defense, during the same operation, the security forces managed to kill 22 foreign fighters, including persons from Al Qaeda leadership and arrest 14 others.1589 On 29 June 2020,
1577 SIGAR, Quarterly Report To The United States Congress, 30 April 2020, url, p. 69; SIGAR, Quarterly Report To The United States Congress, 30 July 2020, url, p. 72
1578 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, pp. 69, 94
1579 EASO analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, (Filters applied: Central Asia & the Caucasus - Afghanistan; Ghazni; Event types: Battles; Explosions/Remote Violence; Violence against civilians; 1 March 2019 - 30 June 2020, url
1580 EASO analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, (Filters applied: Central Asia & the Caucasus - Afghanistan; Nimroz; Event types: Violence against civilians; 1 March 2019 - 30 June 2020, url
1581 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 94
1582 Afghanistan Times, 8 killed in Helmand after vehicle hit by roadside bomb, 25 March 2020, url
1583 SATP, Helmand Timeline 2020, url
1584 HRW, “You Have No Right to Complain” Education, Social Restrictions, and Justice in Taliban-Held Afghanistan, 30 June 2020, url, pp. 53-55; UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 42
1585 PBS, 40 civilians killed in anti-Taliban raid in Afghanistan, 23 September 2019, url; UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 60; NYT, Ally of Al Qaeda Killed in Afghanistan Raid, Officials Say, but Taliban Deny It, 8 October 2019, url
1586 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 60
1587 PBS, 40 civilians killed in anti-Taliban raid in Afghanistan, 23 September 2019, url
1588 PBS, 40 civilians killed in anti-Taliban raid in Afghanistan, 23 September 2019, url; UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 60; NYT, Ally of Al Qaeda Killed in Afghanistan Raid, Officials Say, but Taliban Deny It, 8 October 2019, url
1589 PBS, 40 civilians killed in anti-Taliban raid in Afghanistan, 23 September 2019, url
in Sangin district of Helmand province, ANA forces fired three mortars that landed in a busy marketplace, killing 19 civilians (including 6 children), and injuring 31 others (including 11 children).1590 The second leading cause of casualties were air strikes.1591 Throughout 2019 and early 2020, US and Afghan forces continued operations in the province1592, including air strikes reportedly inflicting considerable damage among civilians.1593 Although a peace agreement between US and Taliban was signed in February 2020, US and Afghan forces continued air strikes in Helmand province because Taliban continues attacking military checkpoints of Afghan security forces.1594
Besides suicide and non-suicide IEDs attacks, AGEs targeted selected groups of civilians in Helmand.
There were reports of cases of killing tribal elders, government employees and journalists in Lashkar Gah City during the reporting period.1595 According to a Human Rights Watch report, any contact with the Afghan government for civilian population is prohibited in Taliban-controlled areas. For example, Taliban targeted a resident of Helmand whose relatives worked for the police and accused him of being
‘a police spy’.1596 Taliban also used civilian homes for military purposes and punished residents who tried to oppose.1597 There were cases when Taliban tried to intimidate the workers of de-mining NGOs in Grishk (Nahr-e-Saraj) district.1598
2.12.3.2 Displacement
UNOCHA collected data for the period 1 March 2019 – 30 June 2020, reporting 9233 persons displaced from Helmand province. 7 481 persons were displaced within the province itself from different localities mainly to Lashkargah and Washer district. 1 752 persons were displaced from Helmand to other provinces, mainly to Kandahar.1599 A significant number of IDPs came from Marja / Nad-e Ali1600 where the Afghan army conducted a military operation trying to recapture the district from Taliban.1601 In the reporting period 103 persons arrived to the Helmand’s district Nahr-e Saraj from Daykundi province.1602
1590 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 2020 Mid-year Update, 27 July 2020, url, p. 15; Stars and Stripes, Afghan forces launched mortar attacks that killed civilians in Helmand, UN says, 30 June 2020, url; Tolonews, 23 Civilians Killed in Rocket Attacks in Helmand 29 June 2020, url
1591 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, pp. 69, 94
1592 Quilty A., Static War: Helmand after the US Marines’ return, AAN, 23 April 2020, url
1593 UNAMA, Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict Annual Report 2019, 22 February 2020, url, p. 60;
1594 CNBC, US carries out first airstrike on Taliban since Doha deal, 4 March 2020, url
1595 EASO analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, (Filters applied: Central Asia & the Caucasus - Afghanistan; Helmand; Event types: Violence against civilians; 1 March 2019 - 30 June 2020, url; Khaama Press, Media staff killed in Afghanistan’s southern province Helmand, 2 January 2020, url; 1 TV, Afghan media worker killed in Afghanistan, 2 January 2020, url
1596 HRW, “You Have No Right to Complain” Education, Social Restrictions, and Justice in Taliban-Held Afghanistan, 30 June 2020, url, pp. 5-7
1597 HRW, “You Have No Right to Complain” Education, Social Restrictions, and Justice in Taliban-Held Afghanistan, 30 June 2020, url, pp. 53-54
1598 HRW, “You Have No Right to Complain” Education, Social Restrictions, and Justice in Taliban-Held Afghanistan, 30 June 2020, url, p. 44
1599 UNOCHA, Afghanistan Conflict Displacement 2019, last updated: 03 March 2020, url; UNOCHA, Afghanistan Conflict Displacement 2019, last updated: 03 March 2020 UNOCHA, Afghanistan Conflict Displacement 2020, last updated: 12 July 2020, url
1600 UNOCHA, Afghanistan Conflict Displacement 2019, last updated: 03 March 2020, url
1601 RFE/RL/Gandhara, Can Afghan Forces Hold On To Former Taliban Territories?, 23 July 2019, url; Tolonews, Helmand’s Marjah Cleared of ‘Insurgents’ After Four Years, 1 December 2019, url
1602 UNOCHA, Afghanistan Conflict Displacement 2019, last updated: 03 March 2020, url; UNOCHA, Afghanistan Conflict Displacement 2019, last updated: 03 March 2020 UNOCHA, Afghanistan Conflict Displacement 2020, last updated: 12 July 2020, url