The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has published an investigative report documenting the impact of armed conflict on civilians in Afghanistan.
According to the United Nations, UNAMA recorded the deaths of more than 40,000 civilians between January 2009 and the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. The report also documented injuries to more than 77,000 civilians during the same period.
The figures highlight the devastating human cost of Afghanistan’s prolonged armed conflict, which involved fighting between Taliban forces, Afghan government security forces and international military forces, as well as attacks by other armed groups.
UNAMA has monitored civilian casualties in Afghanistan for many years, documenting deaths and injuries resulting from ground engagements, improvised explosive devices, suicide attacks, airstrikes and other forms of violence.
The period covered by the report includes some of the most intense years of the Afghan conflict, particularly as fighting and attacks increased in different parts of the country.
The United Nations’ documentation provides an overview of the scale of civilian suffering before the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
Civilian casualties remained a major concern throughout the conflict, with ordinary Afghans frequently caught between opposing forces and exposed to attacks in populated areas.
The publication of the report comes as Afghanistan continues to face political, economic and humanitarian challenges following the Taliban takeover. The UN has continued to monitor human rights and humanitarian conditions in the country.
The reported figures underline the long-term consequences of decades of conflict on Afghan communities and families.