Afghanistan Conflict Death Toll Over 8,000 in 2007: UN

Matthew Weaver, 'Afghan death toll soars to 8,000 last year', The Guardian, 11 March 2008

EXCERPT: "The United Nations has delivered a grim assessment of the conflict in Afghanistan, reporting that violence increased sharply last year and resulted in the deaths of more than 8,000 people, at least 1,500 of them civilians.

"In a report to the security council, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said the number of violent incidents rose from an average of 425 a month in 2006 to 566 each month last year. The number of suicide attacks rose to 160 in 2007 from 123 in 2006 — with 68 attempts thwarted in 2007 compared with 17 in 2006, he said."

Key points from the report:

- "[C]onflict has been concentrated in a fairly small area: 70 per cent of security incidents occurred in 10 per cent (40) of Afghanistan’s districts, home to 6 per cent of the country’s population

- "Owing to insecure conditions, United Nations agencies are unable to operate in 78 districts in the south of the country. United Nations road missions to almost all districts in the south have been suspended for several months."

- "The tactics of the anti-Government elements changed noticeably in 2007. The superiority of Afghan and international security forces in conventional battles has forced opposing groups to adopt small-scale, asymmetric tactics aimed largely at the Afghan National Security Forces and, in some cases, civilians"

- "In 2007, 138 persons were killed and 429 others injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war, of whom approximately 50 per cent were children."

- Opium cultivation "is likely to increase, in the insurgency-affected provinces in the south and west."

- "[V]iolence and harmful practices against women and girls remain a cause for serious concern. In 2007, UNAMA received over 2,000 complaints of gender-based violence."

- "In 2007, 365,410 Afghans voluntarily returned to Afghanistan, bringing the overall assisted repatriation figure since 2002 to 4,090,602."

To access the full report, click here.

Related posts:
'2007 Security Statistics Released', 9 January 2008
'Violence Restricting UN Operations in South, East', 12 October 2007
'UNDSS Half-Year Review of the Security Situation', 9 October 2007
'New U.N. Report Highlights Widespread Corruption, Insecurity', 27 September 2007