A new report by the United Nations (UN) shows that 3,804 civilians were killed in Afghanistan’s war last year, the highest number since the UN began keeping track in 2009. Previously, the highest civilian death toll had been recorded in 2014, the year in which the United States started to significantly decrease its military presence in the country. In 2018, 7,189 civilians were injured as a result of the ongoing conflict involving Afghanistan’s military, Western troops, the Taliban, ISIS and various other militias.
According to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet “[t]he conflict in Afghanistan continues to kill far too many civilians and has caused long-lasting suffering, both physical and psychological, to countless others.” She emphasized that “[t]he fact that the number of children killed this year is the highest on record, is particularly shocking.”
Read more: Afghanistan’s war killed a record number of civilians in 2018
