UNAMA Says 40,000 Civilians Killed in Afghanistan War

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that from January 2009 to August 2021, more than 40,000 civilians were killed and another 77,000 were injured as a result of armed conflict in Afghanistan, figures the mission says reflect the scale of the war’s human toll.

UNAMA on Tuesday, 10 September, published its research report titled “Experiences and Needs of War Victims.” The mission said the findings show that many war victims in Afghanistan have been left without access to justice, compensation, or even recognition of the suffering they have endured.

According to UNAMA, the report covers the period from the US-led military intervention in 2001 to the Taliban administration’s return in 2021. The office added that the report is based on interviews with 195 victims of armed conflict and their relatives, 23 non-governmental organisations working on the needs of war victims, and 23 officials from the governing administration.

UNAMA is the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, part of whose mandate is to document the situation of civilians and the consequences of war in the country. In recent years, the mission has repeatedly stressed in its reports the heavy human cost of the conflict in Afghanistan.