AFGHANISTAN / HUMAN RIGHTS CIVILIANS

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The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission issued their latest annual report on the protection of civilians, which recorded more than 2,700 conflict-related civilian deaths in 2010, a 15 percent increase compared to 2009. UNAMA
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STORY: AFGHANISTAN / HUMAN RIGHTS CIVILIANS
TRT: 1:56
SOURCE: UNAMA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 9 MARCH 2011, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN / FILE

1. Wide shot, press conference
2. Cutaway, journalists
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Georgette Gagnon, Chief, Human Rights, United Nations Assistant Mission in Afghanistan:
“In an effort to make 2011 the year of increasing civilian protection, UNAMA and the Human Rights Commission have put forward some 25 recommendations to all parties to the conflict: the Afghan Government, the anti-government elements, the international military forces to reduce civilian casualties.”
4. Cutaway, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Georgette Gagnon, Chief, Human Rights, United Nations Assistant Mission in Afghanistan:
“To the anti-government element, we would say simply stop attacking civilians. Civilians are protected under all kinds of laws so stop attacking them and withdraw all orders to attack them. Also we would say, stop attacking schools, mosques, hospitals because these are also civilian places.”
6. Cutaway, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Staffan de Mistura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, United Nations Assistant Mission in Afghanistan:
“75 percent caused by the anti-government forces and the 18 percent of them caused by pro-government forces and international forces.”
8. Med shot, journalists

FILE – RECENT, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

9. Various shots, smoldering vehicles
10. Wide shot, rescue workers removing debris
11. Various shots, injured children in hospital

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Storyline

A new United Nations (UN) report points to a 15 per cent rise in the death toll in Afghanistan and urges greater efforts by all parties to protect civilians.

According to the 2010 Annual Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict released today (9 Mar) in Kabul, there were 2,777 conflict-related civilian deaths in 2010, with ordinary Afghans continuing to bear the brunt of the ongoing conflict in the country..

Prepared by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, the report noted that over the past four years, 8,832 civilians have been killed in the conflict with civilian deaths increasing each year.

Speaking to reporters, UNAMA’s human rights chief Georgette Gagnon said that the report makes some 25 recommendations to all parties to the conflict including asking “the Afghan Government, the anti-government elements and the international military forces to reduce civilian casualties.”

Anti-government elements were linked to 2,080 civilian deaths (75 per cent of all civilian deaths), up 28 per cent from 2009. Head of UNAMA Staffan de Mistura added that 18 percent of civilian deaths were “caused by pro-government forces and international forces.”

Gagnon called on anti-government elements to stop attacking civilians who are “protected under all kinds of laws.” She added “stop attacking schools, mosques, hospitals because these are also civilian places.”

Suicide attacks and improvised explosive devices killed the most Afghan civilians in the conflict in 2010, taking 1,141 lives, or 55 per cent of civilian deaths attributed to anti-government elements.

In the most alarming trend, the report finds that 462 civilians were assassinated by anti-government elements, up 105 per cent from 2009. Half of civilian assassinations took place in southern Afghanistan, with a 588 per cent increase in 2010 in Helmand province and a 248 per cent increase in Kandahar province.

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8022
Production Date
Creator
UNAMA
Geographic Subject
MAMS Id
U110309c