AFGHANISTAN THIRD QUARTER REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2020 AFGHANISTAN PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT THIRD QUARTER REPORT: 1 JANUARY TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 he UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Province (ISIL-KP) and international military forces (UNAMA) documented 5,939 civilian casual- respectively. While the number of civilians injured at- T ties (2,117 killed and 3,822 injured) from 1 Jan- tributed to Anti-Government Elements dropped signif- uary to 30 September 2020. While this represents a 30 icantly, the number of civilians killed remained similar per cent reduction in civilian casualties in comparison to last year, mainly due to a rise in those attributed to to the same period in 2019 and the lowest number of the Taliban. Afghan national security forces caused civilian casualties in the first nine months of a year similar levels of civilian harm in comparison to the first since 2012, the conflict in Afghanistan remains one of nine months of 2019, mainly during ground engage- the deadliest in the world for civilians. The reduction in ments, in which the number of civilians killed and in- civilian casualties as compared to the first nine months jured remained high, and through increased civilian of 2019 is mainly due to fewer civilian casualties from casualties as a result of airstrikes. Of additional concern suicide attacks by Anti-Government Elements and is the increase in civilians killed and injured attributed from the steep drop in airstrikes by international mili- to the Afghan National Army during this period. Civil- tary forces since March 2020, resulting in significantly ian casualties and the number of incidents attributed to fewer civilian casualties attributed to the Taliban, the undetermined Anti-Government Elements also Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan Civilian Casualties 1 January to 30 September 2009-2020 8487 8539 8470 9000 8034 8084 8240 8000 6963 7000 6069 5625 5809 5939 6000 4732 5169 5805 5916 5418 5370 5787 5000 4572 4000 3476 3561 3655 3822 3000 2814 2000 2865 2870 1000 1918 2149 2508 2154 2391 2682 2623 2666 2683 2117 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Killed Injured 1 AFGHANISTAN FIRST QUARTER REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2020 Civilian Casualty Timeline by Party to the Conflict 1 January to 30 September 2020 500 400 300 200 100 0 January February March April May June July August September Taliban ISIL-KP Afghan national security forces International military forces increased significantly, indicating that there are more week leading up to the signing of the 29 February US- incidents, especially in relation to the use of improvised Taliban agreement, and subsequently during the three- explosive devices (IEDs) and targeted killings, in which day ceasefires for both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.2 UNAMA could not determine which Anti-Govern- UNAMA also notes that after the US-Taliban agree- ment Element group was responsible. This trend corre- ment, civilian casualties from airstrikes by interna- sponds with a decrease in the number of incidents for tional military forces and search operations by National which the Taliban or ISIL-KP claimed responsibility. Directorate of Security (NDS) Special Forces and the Khost Protection Force all but ceased, while civilian UNAMA welcomes the reduction in civilian casualties, casualties caused by the Taliban and the Afghan Na- but reiterates that to fully protect civilians from harm, tional Army, mainly during ground engagements, con- the fighting needs to cease altogether. On 22 Septem- tinued at high levels. ber, the United Nations Secretary-General made a re- newed push for a global ceasefire by the end of the year Civilian casualties have slightly in- in order for the world to focus on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.1 No related humanitarian cease- creased between the start of the Af- fire has materialised thus far in Afghanistan. The Af- ghan national security forces and the Taliban demon- ghanistan Peace Negotiations and 30 strated their respective abilities to cease hostilities three times during the first nine months of 2020, protecting September to what they were in the many civilians from harm; first observed during the weeks prior to the start of the talks. 1 Remarks made on 22 September by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres during his address to the General Debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, see https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/09/1072972. 2 During the Eid al-Fitr ceasefire from 24 to 26 May 2020, UNAMA documented 49 civilian casualties (27 killed and 22 injured). During the Eid al- Adha ceasefire from 31 July to 2 August 2020, UNAMA documented 97 civilian casualties (39 killed and 58 injured) of which 59 civilian casualties (28 killed and 31 injured) were caused by the ISIL-KP claimed attack on the Jalalabad prison on 2 August. 2 AFGHANISTAN THIRD QUARTER REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2020 Civilian Casualty Timeline 1800 1 January to 30 September 2016-2020 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 January February March April May June July August September 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 On 12 September, the opening ceremony was held to however, the Taliban continue to believe that such a mark the start of Afghanistan Peace Negotiations be- ceasefire should be considered later in the Afghanistan tween the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Tal- Peace Negotiations. As fighting continued, civilian cas- iban in Doha, Qatar. The Islamic Republic negotiating ualties slightly increased in September 2020 as com- team and the Government of Afghanistan have publicly pared to the prior month.4 In addition, UNAMA did called for an immediate, comprehensive ceasefire3; not document any decrease in civilian casualties at- tributed to parties at the talks since the negotiations All parties to the conflict can, and formally started in Qatar on 12 September. On the con- must, do more to protect civilians trary, civilian casualties have slightly increased between 12 and 30 September to what they were in the weeks from harm by urgently reviewing prior to the start of the talks.5 With civilian harm con- tinuing at high levels, UNAMA reiterates that all par- practices and strengthening miti- ties to the conflict can, and must, do more to protect gation measures, as well as work- civilians from harm by urgently reviewing practices and strengthening mitigation measures, as well as ing towards an end to the fighting. working towards an end to the fighting – the only way to definitively stop conflict-related civilian casualties. 3 See for example, the remarks of the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation of the Government of Afghanistan on 12 September, unoffi- cial English translation on https://www.facebook.com/DrMujibRahimi/posts/5091268550899358. 4 In September 2020, UNAMA documented 776 civilian casualties (261 killed and 515 injured) in comparison to 738 civilian casualties (307 killed and 431 injured) in the month of August 2020. Although the period after 30 September is outside the scope of this report, UNAMA is concerned about the intensifica- tion of the fighting in several parts of the country in October. At the time of publication of this report, for example, UNAMA was closely monitoring the im- pact on civilians from fighting in Helmand, where thousands have been displaced and many civilian casualties are being verified; as well as several indiscrimi- nate attacks in Nangarhar, Laghman and Ghor along with an airstrike in Takhar and a suicide attack targeting civilians in Kabul, which in sum, have killed and injured more than 400 civilians. 5 UNAMA attributed 21 civilian casualties to the Taliban and Pro-Government Forces on average per day from 1 August to 11 September 2020, while between 12 and 30 September, UNAMA attributed 23 civilian casualties on average per day to the Taliban and Pro-Government Forces. 3 AFGHANISTAN FIRST QUARTER REPORT ON PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN ARMED CONFLICT: 2020 Civilian Casualties by Incident Type 1 January to 30 September 2020 From 1 January to 30 September 2020, ground engage- round fired during a ground engagement between the ments continued to be the leading cause of civilian cas- Taliban and the Afghan National Army impacted a ci- ualties, representing 38 per cent of the overall total.6 vilian home in Andar district, Ghazni province. As a While the number of civilians killed from this incident result, three women and two boys were killed and seven type increased by four per cent in comparison to last others, including three boys, two girls, a man and a year, the number of injured civilians decreased by 13 woman, sustained injuries. UNAMA could not deter- per cent.7 The vast majority of civilian casualties from mine which party was responsible for the incident. ground engagements are attributed to Afghan national security forces and the Taliban, particularly from the From 1 January to 30 September, the use of suicide and use of indirect fire (mortars, rockets and grenades) in non-suicide IEDs by Anti-Government Elements was populated areas. For example, on 17 August, a mortar the second leading cause of civilian casualties, 6 From 1 January to 30 September 2020, UNAMA documented 2,275 civilian casualties (606 killed and 1,669 injured) from ground engagements. Pro-Gov- ernment Forces were responsible for 986 civilian casualties (270 killed and 716 injured). Anti-Government Elements were responsible for 704 civilian casual- ties (177 killed and 527 injured). UNAMA also documented 585 civilian casualties (159 killed and 426 injured) to crossfire and other types of incidents. 7 From 1 January to 30 September 2019, UNAMA documented 2,511 civilian casualties (583 killed and 1,928 injured) from ground engagements.