UNAMA Says All Sides in Afghanistan War Harmed Civilians

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a research report that all parties involved in the Afghanistan war contributed to harming civilians. The mission said victims’ accounts show that civilians were affected by the actions of all sides in the conflict.

According to the report, UNAMA documented the deaths of about 40,000 civilians and the injury of more than 77,000 others from January 2009 until the Taliban administration returned to power in August 2021. However, the report did not provide separate figures for casualties attributed to each party to the conflict.

UNAMA said the study was carried out by the mission’s human rights division in 2024 and 2025 to examine the experiences and needs of victims of the war in Afghanistan. The report is based on interviews with 195 war victims and members of their families, 23 non-governmental organizations supporting victims, and 23 Taliban administration officials.

According to UNAMA, the review mainly covers the period of the US-led military intervention from 2001 to August 15, 2021, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. During this period, forces of the former government, the Taliban administration, Islamic State Khorasan Province, local armed groups and US-led foreign forces were the main parties to the conflict.

The US and its allies launched their military intervention in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, and the Western military presence continued until August 2021. After the last American soldier left on August 31 that year, the 20-year US war in Afghanistan ended, and the Taliban administration took control of Kabul and then other parts of the country on August 15, 2021.