Civilian casualties fall in Afghanistan

The 2017 report, launched in Kabul, revealed a decline compared to 2016 when 11,434 casualties — 3,510 dead, 7,924 injured — were recorded, Efe news agency reported. As compared to 2016, the number of deaths fell by two per cent and that of the wounded fell by 11 per cent.

The decline was attributed to a reduction in ground operations as well as mortar attacks in the most populous areas, according to the UN.”The chilling statistics provide credible data about the war’s impact, but the figures alone cannot capture the appalling human suffering inflicted on ordiry people, especially women and children,” UMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto said.

In 2017, 359 women died in the Afghan conflict and 865 were wounded, a one per cent rise over the previous year, although the number of children affected fell from 2016 by 10 per cent with 861 dead and 2,318 wounded. (IANS)