AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 i AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 ii AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 in Afghanistan 2019 Civilian Casualties by Province iii AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 This report and all Afghanistan Protection of Civilians in ArmedConflict Reports referenced herein are available on the UNAMA web- site at: http://unama.unmissions.org/protection-of-civilians-reports In the blast from a Taliban attack on a Ministry of Defence compound in downtown Kabul on 1 July 2019, one boy and six civilian men were killed and 144 civilians were injured. The blast had a severe impact on surrounding houses, businesses and schools. Six schools in the area were affected, with classrooms damaged and education materials destroyed. Photo: Haroon Sabawoon / AMA iv AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 “This report documents the plight of civilians in the Afghan conflict during the past year, and makes rec- ommendations to all parties concerned for reducing civilian casualties. With more than 100,000 civilians killed and injured since the United Nations began systematic documentation of civilian casualties in 2009, the time is long overdue to put an end to the human misery and the tragedy. The best way to halt the killings and maiming of civilians is to stop the fighting. With civilian casualties continuing at rec- ord high levels, there is more need now than ever before to use all our efforts to bring about peace. I urge all parties to the conflict to seize every oppor- tunity to do so.” Tadamichi Yamamoto, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Kabul February 2020 “People in Afghanistan continue to experience some of the most extreme forms of violence against inno- cent civilians. The third quarter of 2019 saw record high numbers of civilian casualties due to the armed conflict. Countless individuals, families and commu- nities suffer physical, mental, social and economic harm due to the violence. I am appalled at the dis- proportionate suffering of women and children. On- ly with a meaningful end to the cycle of violence and conflict, can there be real hope for forgiveness, acknowledgement, justice, prosperity and a chance of peace for all who live in Afghanistan.” Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Geneva February 2020 v AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 MANDATE he 2019 Annual Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan was prepared by the Human Rights Service of the United Nations Assis- tance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and covers Tthe period from 1 January to 31 December 2019. The UNAMA Human Rights Service prepared this report pursu- ant to the UNAMA mandate under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2489 (2019) “to monitor the situation of ci- vilians, to coordinate efforts to ensure their protection, […] to promote accountability, […] and to assist in the full implementa- tion of the fundamental freedoms and human rights provisions of the Afghan Constitution and international treaties to which Afghanistan is a State party, in particular those regarding the full enjoyment by women of their human rights.” Security Council Resolution 2489 (2019) recognizes the im- portance of ongoing monitoring and reporting to the Security Council on the situation of civilians in the armed conflict, partic- ularly on civilian casualties. UNAMA undertakes a range of activities aimed at minimizing the impact of the armed conflict on civilians including: inde- pendent and impartial monitoring of incidents involving loss of life or injury to civilians; advocacy to strengthen protection of civilians affected by the armed conflict; and initiatives to promote compliance among all parties to the conflict with international humanitarian law and international human rights law and the Constitution and laws of Afghanistan, including in particular re- spect for rights to life and physical integrity. vi AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 vii AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS Methodology ........................................................................................................................ 1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 5 Recommendations ............................................................................................................ 13 I. Political and Security Dynamics Affecting Civilian Protection ........................... 16 II. Impact of the Armed Conflict on Civilians ............................................................ 18 a. Women and Armed conflict .................................................................................. 18 b. Children and Armed Conflict ............................................................................... 21 i. Recruitment and use of children by parties to the armed conflict ............... 24 ii. Conflict-related sexual violence against children ........................................... 25 c. Impact of the Armed Conflict on Education ...................................................... 27 d. Impact of the Armed Conflict on Healthcare ..................................................... 29 e. Explosive Remnants of War ................................................................................... 30 III. Anti-Government Elements ...................................................................................... 32 a. Overview .................................................................................................................. 32 i. The Taliban ........................................................................................................... 34 ii. Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) ......... 36 b. Tactics and Incident Types Causing Most Harm to Civilians .......................... 37 i. Improvised explosive devices (suicide and non-suicide) ............................... 37 ii. Attacks deliberately targeting civilians and civilian objects .......................... 44 iii. Conflict-related abductions of civilians ........................................................... 49 iv. Cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments carried out against civilians ... 50 v. Use of homes and other civilian objects for military purposes ..................... 51 viii AFGHANISTAN ANNUAL REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2019 IV. Pro-Government Forces ............................................................................................. 52 a. Overview .................................................................................................................. 52 i. Afghan national security forces ......................................................................... 54 ii. International military forces .............................................................................. 54 iii. Pro-Government armed groups ........................................................................ 56 b. Tactics and Incident Types Causing the Most Harm to Civilians .................... 59 i. Airstrikes............................................................................................................... 59 ii. Search operations ................................................................................................ 63 iii. Intentional killings, including summary executions ...................................... 66 V. Ground Engagements: Civilians Caught in the Crossfire ....................................... 68 a. Overview ..................................................................................................................... 68 b. Indirect Fire ................................................................................................................ 70 c. Direct Fire ................................................................................................................... 71 d. Cross-Border Incidents ............................................................................................. 72 VI. Civilian Casualty Mitigation Policies and Mechanisms, including Accountability Efforts ..................................................................................... 73 a. Government of Afghanistan and Afghan national security forces .................. 74 b. International military forces .................................................................................. 75 c. The Taliban ............................................................................................................... 7 ANNEX I: Legal Framework ........................................................................................... 79 ANNEX II: Main Parties to the Conflict ........................................................................ 83 ANNEX III: Glossary ........................................................................................................ 87 ANNEX IV: Provincial Breakdown of Civilian Casualties .......................................... 93 ANNEX V: Response of the Taliban ............................................................................... 95 Endnotes ..........................................................................................................................