11 June 2011 – Afghan civilians suffered their worst month of violence in recent years as the insurgent summer attacks intensified, making May the deadliest month on its records the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today announced reiterating calls for greater protections for ordinary Afghans.

“Parties to the conflict must increase their efforts to protect civilians now,” said Georgette Gagnon, Director of Human Rights for UNAMA said today in a pointed statement.

“More civilians were killed in May than in any other month since 2007 when UNAMA began documenting civilian casualties.”

At least 368 conflict-related civilians died in May with anti-government elements responsible for 301 or 82 per cent of civilian killings, and pro-government forces blamed for 45 deaths or 12 per cent of the total, according to the figures cited in the statement. Nearly 600 civilians have been injured.

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by anti-government elements continue to cause most incidents and most casualties. IED attacks were responsible for 119 deaths in May or 41 per cent of the total, and 274 injuries.

Pressure plate IEDs are triggered by a vehicle passing over them, resulting in civilian vehicles being indiscriminately affected. The widespread use of these explosives, particularly alongside roads and in busy commercial areas trafficked by civilians, is a “violation of international humanitarian law.”

Earlier in the year Staffan de Mistura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, had condemned an IED attack in Nahr-e-Saraj District of Helmand Province which struck a civilian bus killing 14 people and seriously injuring others. 

The UN mission said it is preparing its mid-year report on protection of civilians to be released in early July but chose to make public an interim statement due to the unusually high number of civilian deaths. Click here for a copy of the 2010 annual report released in March. 

“We are very concerned that civilian suffering will increase even more over the summer fighting season which historically brings the highest numbers of civilian casualties,” Gagnon said.

Civilian casualties attributed to ground combat have been on the rise since the beginning of the Taliban’s spring offensive announced on 30 April. Pro-government forces are blamed for 45 civilian deaths or 12 per cent of the total with ground combat responsible for half of those killings.

The majority of these attacks are in areas where anti-government elements and pro-government forces expanded operations, particularly in the north and the regions bordering Pakistan.

A night raid by pro-government forces in Taluqan city, Takhar province, on 17 May killed four people, including two women, leading to a violent demonstration where at least 14 people were killed and dozens others wounded. UNAMA condemned the raid.

Two weeks later, people took to the street in Helmand province after 14 civilians, including 10 children, reportedly died in an air strike. President Hamid Karzai called the killings “shocking.”

Air strikes are blamed for three per cent of the total deaths in May, according to UNAMA.

The UN statement follows a visit by a UN Security Council delegation focused on increasing child protection in areas of conflict, particularly against attacks on educational and medical facilities. Read more about the visit.

Next month, the UN Security Council under the presidency of Germany represented by Ambassador Peter Wittig, will debate a draft resolution that could place individuals and groups that target schools and hospitals on a blame-and-shame list or possibly under sanctions.

Despite international laws preventing attacks on places where children learn or receive medical aid, attacks in Afghanistan persist.

On 21 May, a suicide bomber at the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital killed at least four people and injured 20 others according to government sources. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. UNAMA condemned the attack.  

By UNAMA Kabul