The ongoing war in Afghanistan continues to take a heavy toll on civilians in addition to the warring parties. Although there has long been criticism of all sides to the conflict for not doing enough to protect the lives and property of civilians and those not involved in the war, the problem remains unaddressed. Every side claims paying attention to civilian lives, but the reality on the ground is totally otherwise. Afghans who are unarmed and not part of either side still bear the brunt of the conflict.
According to a new report on civilian casualties, as many as 6687 Afghan civilians have suffered casualties in different security-related incidents in 2018. The report released by the Civilian Protection Advocacy Group (CPAG) shows that 2,615 Afghans have been killed and about 4,072 others, including women and children wounded, which means that 18 civilians have suffered casualties every day last year. CPAG estimates the actual toll to be higher because it, according to the organization, is impossible to document the number of casualties in many areas either under Taliban control or where fighting is ongoing.
Civilian causalities are a huge problem, as well as a major driver of continued war besides other factors. When defenseless Afghans suffer casualties in the war and families of the victims don’t get the justice, revenge becomes the only option for them, something that inflames and prolongs the war whose almost all victims are Afghans.
All parties to the Afghan conflict are duty bound to fulfill their obligations and commitments with regard to the protection of civilians. Afghan government, foreign troops and insurgents must employ all means and resources to prevent harm to the lives and property of non-combatants. The pro-government forces in particular should try their best by adopting proper mechanisms to avoid harm to innocent people in their counterinsurgency operations so that the distance between government and people doesn’t widen.
