KABUL: Civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2016 were the highest recorded by the UN, the world body said Monday, with nearly 11,500 non-combatants -- one third of them children -- killed or wounded.
Fighting between Afghan security forces and militants, especially in populated areas, remained "the leading cause of civilian casualties" more than two years after NATO's combat mission ended, said the United Nations, which began documenting civilian casualties in 2009.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said there were 11,418 civilian casualties (3,498 deaths and 7,920 injured), an increase of three percent over 2015, underscoring growing insecurity.
More than 3,500 children were among the victims, a "disproportionate" increase of 24 percent in one year, the report said. This was mainly due to a 66 percent increase in casualties, most of whom were children, from unexploded ordnance.
The UN's special envoy to Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto said the new figures were "deeply harrowing" and highlight "the gruesome reality of the conflict".
He called on all parties -- militants as well as pro-government forces -- to cease fighting in populated areas, and stop using schools, hospitals and mosques for military purposes.
"The continuation of attacks targeting civilians... is illegal, reprehensible and, in most cases, may amount to a war crime," the report said.
"It is imperative that the perpetrators, whoever they are, be held accountable for such acts."
Save the Children also expressed its alarm at the "extremely concerning" figures, saying in a statement they represent a "very real failure to protect the most vulnerable".
"Children are innocent victims of conflict and need to be protected at all costs. They must be seen as off limits no matter what," Save the Children's Afghanistan country director Ana Locsin said.
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