UN Report: Over 1K Afghan Civilians Killed Since Taliban Takeover

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Facts

  • The United Nations Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported Tuesday that it has recorded roughly 1.1K civilian deaths and over 2.6K wounded in Afghanistan between the Taliban takeover in August 2021 and May of 2023.1
  • Three-quarters of these civilian casualties were caused by improvised explosive devices (IED) in populated areas, including Shia Muslim places of worship, schools, and markets.2
  • Most of the IED attacks were reportedly carried out by the Taliban's foe and a regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province [IS-KP].3
  • The Taliban-led foreign ministry reacted by stressing that the security situation has improved since before the takeover, with over 8.8K civilian casualties recorded, including over 3K deaths, in 2020 alone.4
  • Earlier this month, the UN Security Council's Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team claimed that relations between the Taliban and al-Qaeda are "strong and symbiotic," with some 400 fighters operating in Afghanistan despite Kabul denying such links.5
  • Meanwhile, in April, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban killed an unnamed IS-KP leader who reportedly planned the bombing at Kabul airport during the US withdrawal in 2021, which killed 170 civilians and 13 US soldiers as people tried to flee the country.6

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2UNAMA, 3Independent, 4FOX News, 5VOA, and 6ITN.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by NBC. The collapse of the US-backed administration in Afghanistan and the subsequent Taliban takeover has been disastrous for the Central Asian nation as the victorious militant group re-enacted a discriminatory system of repression while the nation was thrown into poverty. As the international community focuses on helping Ukraine, the Taliban has an open field to exploit common people.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Global Times. It's certain that life has changed for Afghans since the Taliban takeover, with the government facing more complicated social and economic challenges, but the improvement in the security situation is undeniable. Armed violence has plummeted and rural areas, once too dangerous, are now being visited by urban dwellers.

Predictions