Over 1,000 civilians killed in attacks since Taliban takeover, says UN

Image used for representational purpose.

The United Nations said on Tuesday that it has documented a significant level of civilians killed and wounded in attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, despite a stark reduction in casualties compared to previous years of war and insurgency, news agency AP reported.

According to a new report by the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, there were 3,774 civilian casualties, including 1,095 people killed in violence in the country, since the takeover in mid-August 2021 until the end of May.

This compares with 8,820 civilian casualties, including 3,035 killed, in just 2020, according to an earlier U.N. report.

The Taliban seized the country in August 2021 while U.S. and NATO troops were in the final weeks of their withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of war.

According to the U.N. report, three-quarters of the attacks since the Taliban seized power were carried out with improvised explosive devices in populated areas, including places of worship, schools, and markets. Among those killed were 92 women and 287 children.

The report stated that the majority of the IED attacks were carried out by the region's affiliate of the Islamic State group, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province.

However, the U.N. report mentioned that a significant number of deaths resulted from attacks that were never claimed or couldn't be attributed to any group. It did not provide the number for those fatalities.

The report also expressed concern about the lethality of suicide attacks since the Taliban takeover, with fewer attacks causing more civilian casualties.

It noted that the attacks were carried out amid a nationwide financial and economic crisis. With the sharp drop in donor funding since the takeover, victims are struggling to get access to medical, financial, and psychosocial support under the current Taliban-led government, the report said.

The U.N. agency demanded an immediate halt to attacks and held the Taliban government responsible for the safety of Afghans.

The Taliban, in response, stated that their administration took over when Afghanistan was on the verge of collapse and claimed to have rescued the country and government from a crisis through sound decisions and proper management.

However, despite initial promises of a more moderate administration, the Taliban enforced harsh rules after seizing the country, including banning girls' education after the sixth grade and barring Afghan women from public life and most work. These measures harked back to their previous rule in the late 1990s and drew international outcry.

The Taliban's administration has not been officially recognized by the U.N. and the international community, which has further ostracized them.

(With inputs from AP)