KABUL: (Middle East Press) According to United Nation (UN) The number of civilians killed and injured in Afghanistan has raised 22 percent in 2014.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan on Wednesday attributed the increase to an intensification in ground fighting, resulting in a total of 10,548 civilian casualties in 2014, compared with the 2013 figure of 8,637.
The number of civilian deaths rose 25 percent to 3,699 while the number of wounded was up 21 percent to 6,849.
The total casualty figure is the highest recorded in a single year since the UN began collecting its reports in 2009.
For Afghan women and children, the suffering of losing a husband and father in the conflict is often only the beginning of their suffering and hardship.
According to reports one of the major reasons has been the increase in high explosive weapons used in attacks.
Another reason has been the spreading of the ground offensive and these have taken place close to the major regional centers.
The report also recognized a 40 percent increase in casualties among children (714 killed, 1,760 injured) compared with the previous year and a 21 percent rise in casualties among women (298 killed, 611 injured).
The total number of civilian casualties since 2009 now stands at 17,774 killed and 29,971 wounded.
