1.013 burgerdoden Afghanistan in eerste helft 2009

In het eerste deel van 2009 is het aantal doden onder de burgers van Afghanistan schrikbarend toegenomen. Door toedoen van de Taliban vonden 595 mensen de dood, door toedoen van het Afghaanse leger en buitenlandse soldaten 310. De Hoop Scheffer faalde om Afghanistan veiliger te maken.

De Verenigde Naties maakten vrijdag bekend dat het aantal burgerslachtoffers in de eerste helft van dit jaar met 24 procent is gestegen vergeleken met dezelfde periode vorig jaar.

Het persbureau Associated Press meldt: “Civilian deaths in the escalating Afghan war soared by 24 percent during the first half of 2009 compared with the same period last year, the United Nations said Friday, blaming most of the casualties on Taliban attacks launched with little regard for civilian lives.”

De meeste slachtoffers vallen door toedoen van de Taliban. Dit betekent dat de Afghaanse regering, die wordt geholpen door de buitenlandse troepen om veiligheid voor de burgers te scheppen, er niet in slaagt om Afghanistan veiliger te maken.

Het land wordt jaar in jaar uit onveiliger, ondanks dat er meer buitenlandse militairen worden gestationeerd.

De VN maakten ook bekend dat de toename van militaire operaties van de VS en zijn bondgenoten, in het bijzonder de luchtaanvallen, bijdragen aan een toename van het aantal slachtoffers onder de burgers.

De Associated Press meldt: “The U.N. Assistance Mission to Afghanistan also pointed to stepped-up military operations by the United States and its allies, especially airstrikes, for the steady increase in Afghan civilian casualties over the past two years.”

In de eerste helft van dit zijn 1.013 burgers door geweld in Afghanistan omgekomen. Vorig jaar waren dat er in deze periode 818. Hiervan bonden er 595 de dood door toedoen van de Taliban. 310 burgers zijn omgebracht door Afghaanse en buitenlandse soldaten.

“According to the U.N., at least 1,013 civilians were killed in the first six months of this year compared with 818 for the same period in 2008 — an increase of 24 percent. Of those, 595 died as a result of Taliban attacks, many of them against "civilian traffic, residential compounds and marketplaces," the report said. International and Afghan government forces killed another 310 civilians, including 200 in 40 airstrikes, according to the U.N. The 108 other civilian deaths could not be attributed to either side, the report said.”

200 Afghaanse burgers zijn om het leven gekomen door luchtaanvallen.

In Afghanistan moet de International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), die wordt geleid door de NAVO, de regering helpen om voor veiligheid te zorgen. Zoals de naam aangeeft is het een veiligheidsmacht.

Deze troepen die werden geleid door De Hoop Scheffer falen hopeloos om veiligheid voor burgers te waarborgen. Enerzijds zijn ze niet in staat om de burgers te beschermen tegen de Taliban, anderzijds richten ze zelf een slachting aan onder de burgers.

Het is als maar onveiliger geworden in het Aziatische land onder het leiderschap van De Hoop Scheffer.

Ook voor de buitenlandse soldaten zelf is Afghanistan er niet veiliger op geworden.

Op de dag dat de Deense oud-premier Anders Fogh Rasmussen hem opvolgde als secretaris-generaal van de NAVO, verloor het bondgenootschap weer vier militairen.

Juli was volgens de onafhankelijke website Icasualties de bloedigste maand voor de buitenlandse troepen in het land sinds de val van het Taliban-regime eind 2001.Vorige maand sneuvelden 75 buitenlandse soldaten.

Associated Press:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ihcxyvLQTtUCreNe2jbrDczmO9aQD99PL9700
Icasualties
www.icasualties.org


Onlangs kwam deze video uit over burgerslachtoffers in Afghanistan. Naast de vele doden die er vallen onder de burgerbevolking, verblijven honderdduizenden mensen noodgedwongen in troosteloze vluchtelingenkampen door het oorlogsgeweld.



Robvandam (Robson)


Dit is het persbericht van de Verenigde Naties over de burgerslachtoffers.

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN AFGHANISTAN KEEP RISING, FINDS UN REPORT

The ongoing conflict in Afghanistan continues to take a heavy toll on the country’s civilians, according to the United Nations mission there, which recorded over 1,000 deaths in the first six months of 2009 – 24 per cent more than during the same period last year.

“Both anti-government elements (AGEs) and pro-government forces (PGFs) are responsible for the increase in civilian casualties,” the mission, known as UNAMA, said in its Mid-Year Bulletin on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan.

The report, prepared by UNAMA’s Human Rights Unit, focused on improvised explosive devices (IED)/suicide attacks carried out by AGEs, and airstrikes conducted by PGF, the two tactics which the mission says continue to claim the largest number of civilian lives in the ongoing armed conflict.

However, it added that more civilians are being killed by the armed opposition than by the Afghan security and international military forces.

UNAMA recorded 1,013 civilian deaths in the first six months of 2009, an increase of 24 per cent as compared to the same period in 2008. Of these, 59 per cent (595 deaths) were due to AGEs and 30.5 per cent (310 deaths) to PGFs.

“This represents a significant shift from 2007 when PGFs were responsible for 41 per cent and AGEs for 46 per cent of civilian deaths,” the mission stated, adding that it highlights the need for all parties to the conflict, particularly the armed opposition which is responsible for the majority of avoidable deaths, to take all necessary measures to avoid the killing of innocent civilians.

Of the 595 civilian deaths attributed to AGEs activities, 400 were the result of indiscriminate use of IEDs and suicide attacks, which is responsible for 67 per cent of all deaths caused by the armed opposition.

Meanwhile, operations carried out by the Government of Afghanistan and its allies “have resulted in a rising toll in terms of civilian deaths and injuries and destruction of infrastructure, including homes and assets, which are essential for survival and the maintenance of livelihoods,” stated the report.

UNAMA noted that international military forces have tried to minimize the number of civilian casualties resulting from their operations. Nevertheless, “airstrikes remain the largest cause of civilian deaths attributed to PGF during the first six months of 2009,” with 40 incidents of airstrikes since the beginning of 2009 in which 200 civilians reportedly lost their lives.

While acknowledging “a greater openness” by the international military forces, in particular the Security Council-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), with regard to such matters, the mission remained concerned about a number of issues, including the level of transparency of the forces and their capacity or willingness to provide information to UNAMA.

UN human rights chief Navi Pillay warned that civilian casualties were likely to continue rising unless more effective preventive measures were taken.

“All parties involved in this conflict should take all measures to protect civilians, and to ensure the independent investigation of all civilian casualties, as well as justice and remedies for the victims,” said Ms. Pillay.

(VN: New York, 31 juli 2009)