Most of civilian casualties happen in south: AIHRC

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) chapter in southern Kandahar province says most or 33 percent of all civilian casualties caused by the ongoing war happened in the southern region of the country.

Sultan Mohammad Aail, AIHRC director for Kandahar province, in an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News said that 2,854 civilians suffered casualties in 2020 in the southern zone encompassing Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces.

He said that 978 civilians were killed and 1,876 others wounded in the conflict in the mentioned provinces last year. The victims included men, women and children.

He added that 33 percent of all civilian casualties in the country happened in the southern provinces.

According to UNAMA annual report, civilian casualties were 8,820 in 2020, which is 15 percent lower than the previous year, but the report’s authors noted with alarm a sharp uptick and historically high civilian casualties in the final three months of 2020, when peace talks began.

Aail said that the southern zone was the most dangerous for civilians as landmines, face to face clashes, targeted killings and airstrikes were the main causes of high human casualties there.

Civilian casualties in combat operations have doubled but neither side takes responsibility, he added.

He said though the level of civilian losses generally dropped in the country in 2020 compared to in 2019, but recent conflicts led to a rise in civilian casualties in the south.

Aail voiced on the conflict sides to stop violence and accelerate efforts at reaching a peace agreement.

Mirwais Zonal Hospital is one of the main healthcare centers in Kandahar city where nearly a dozen of war injured people are brought for treatment on a daily basis.

Dr. Qudratullah Hakimi in the surgery ward of the hospital, told Pajhwok Afghan News that averagely 10 people injured in conflict were brought to the hospital on a daily basis.

He said that 65 injured people were delivered to the hospital from Kandahar province alone in the last one month. Of the injured, 35 were hit by bullets, 15 by landmines and explosions and 15 others by airstrikes, he added.

Not only civilians were injured in the war but dozens of soldiers were also wounded and brought to the hospital for treatment, Hakimi said.

He added that the number of those dying in the war was also high and there were days in which dozens of people suffered casualties and the figure reached in hundreds in a month.

He said that it was even painful when many of the wounded lost their lives in the hospital while many others recovered with lifelong disabilities.

Kandahar residents also said that the conflict sides were careless about civilian lives and many incidents in recent past happened that caused huge human losses to local people in the province.

Basir Ahmad, a resident of Nagahan area of Arghandab district of Kandahar, said that no side of the conflict cared about civilian lives.

He said that civilian casualties increased in recent fights in Arghandab, Zhari, Panjwai, Maiwand and other districts of Kandahar.

Most of civilian casualties caused by landmines followed by face to face clashes, airstrikes and other incidents, he said.

Ahmad voiced on conflict sides to pay care to the people’s lives and stop violence.

Mds/ma

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