UN / AFGHANISTAN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES

A United Nations (UN) report on Afghanistan shows a record number of civilian casualties since counting began in 2009, with 5,166 civilians recorded killed or maimed in just the first six months of this year, of whom almost one-third were children. UNIFEED-UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:00:54
• Production Date: 25 July 2016
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: FARHAN HAQ
• Subject Topical: CIVILIANS; TERRORISM; VIOLENCE
• Geographic Subject: AFGHANISTAN
• MAMS Id: 1679985
• Parent Id: 1679985
• Alternate Title: unifeed160725e

Description

STORY: UN / UN / AFGHANISTAN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
TRT: 00:54
SOURCE: UNIFEED - UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 25 JULY 2016, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Close up, United Nations flag at Headquarters

25 JULY 2016, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Spokesperson Farhan Haq at the podium
3. Med shot, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:
“A UN report on Afghanistan published today shows a record number of civilian casualties since counting began in 2009, with 5,166 civilians recorded killed or maimed in just the first six months of this year, of whom almost one-third were children. This represents an increase of four percent in the total number of casualties compared to the first six months of 2015 – and is the highest half-year total since 2009. While anti-Government elements remain responsible for the majority – 60 percent – of civilian casualties, there was an increase in the number of civilians killed and injured by pro-Government forces between January and June this year.”
5. Zoom out, end of presser

Storyline

A United Nations (UN) report on Afghanistan published today (25 July) shows a record number of civilian casualties since counting began in 2009, with 5,166 civilians recorded killed or maimed in just the first six months of this year, of whom almost one-third were children.

UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York that this figure “represents an increase of four percent in the total number of casualties compared to the first six months of 2015.”

Haq said that “while anti-Government elements remain responsible for the majority – 60 percent – of civilian casualties, there was an increase in the number of civilians killed and injured by pro-Government forces between January and June this year.”

According to the report, the total civilian casualty figure between 1 January 2009 and 30 June 2016 has risen to 63,934, including 22,941 deaths and 40,993 injured.

Between January and June this year, the Human Rights team of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented 1,601 civilian deaths and 3,565 injured civilians. This represents an increase of four percent in the total number of casualties compared to the first six months of 2015 – and is the highest half-year total since 2009.

Over the weekend, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned a terrorist attack that killed dozens of people during a peaceful demonstration in Kabul on Saturday.