Alwaght- The United Nations says violence in Afghanistan is killing more children compared to the last year.
A recent report published by the UN said the number of children killed and maimed in the Afghan war increased dramatically last year to the highest civilian casualty toll in the country since 2001.
In a report released on Monday, the UN documented 11,418 casualties, a 3% increase since 2015, including 3,498 deaths.
Child casualties rose 24% – to 923 killed and 2,589 wounded – mainly as a result of ground engagements closer to residential areas, and explosive remnants of war.
While the total number of killed marked a slight drop, the number of injured has grown 6% since 2016.
“It is about time the various parties to the conflict ceased the relentless commission of war crimes and thought about the harm they are doing to their mothers, fathers, children and future generations by continuing to fuel this senseless, never-ending conflict,” said Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the UN high commissioner for human rights.
Aside from documenting the toll, the UN numbers reflect a changing war dynamic. Since 2014, international forces have largely withdrawn from the battlefield and fighting has moved into villages and closer to cities.
The leading cause of casualties is ground engagements. The UN attributes 61% of casualties to anti-government groups, chiefly the Taliban, and 22% to pro-government Afghan forces.
The Taliban controls or contests 97 of Afghanistan’s 407 districts, according to the Long War Journal. The militants are on the cusp of at least five provincial capitals, including in Helmand province where they now fire rockets into Lashkar Gah.
The UN report mentions unexploded ammunition as another major threat against civilians. The UN said 86% of casualties sustained by unexploded ordnance were children, with 183 killed and 426 injured, often when collecting scrap metal, tending to livestock or playing.
