The number of civilian casualties in the country declined in 2020, but the trend has changed dramatically in the past three months when Washington-initiated talks with the Taliban terrorist group began.
The negotiation process began in September, but has since slowed while violence has increased. The cause of the crisis was the lack of confidence that a Western military contingent could be withdrawn by May, as previously agreed by the parties.
The number of civilian casualties in 2020, according to the UN mission in Afghanistan, published on Tuesday, February 23, is 8.82 thousand. While this number is 15% lower than in 2019, the report’s authors pointed to a sharp rise in casualties in the last three months of 2020.
As Deborah Lyons, head of the UN Afghanistan mission, notes, 2020 could have been a “year of peace” for the republic.
“Instead, thousands of Afghan civilians have died”, – she observed. – “The parties that refuse to consider a ceasefire must accept the devastating consequences.”