欢迎来到VOA在线收网 www.voa365.com
当前位置:VOA NEWS > VOA慢速英语 > AS IT IS >

AS IT IS 2015-02-20 UN Sees Sharp Rise in Civilian Deaths, Injuries in Afghanistan

2015-02-20 10:26来源:未知

音频下载

A wounded Afghan man arrives at a hospital in Jalalabad after a suicide attack that targeted funeral-goers in Laghman province, Afghanistan, Jan. 29, 2015. (REUTERS/ Parwiz)
The United Nations says conflict-related deaths and injuries among Afghan civilians rose last year. The UN says the number of civilian deaths and injuries was 22 percent higher than in 2013.

 

UN officials are blaming the Taliban and other rebel groups for most of the casualties. Officials say the higher numbers are a result of ground fighting between opposing sides in the Afghan conflict.

 

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan this week released a report on civilian casualties in Afghanistan. It says the number of deaths and injuries last year was the highest in a single year since 2009.

 

Georgette Gagnon is Director of Human Rights for the UN mission. She says intensified ground fighting between Afghan government forces and the rebels has produced the rise in casualties. She says the rebels have used weapons such as rockets, shells and grenades in and around population centers. She says the withdrawal of international forces and air support led to the increased fighting.

 

“The UN documented 10,548 civilian casualties in 2014. Civilian casualties from ground operations surged, making them the leading cause of civilian casualties and the biggest killers of Afghan women and children in 2014.”

 

Georgette Gagnon says the UN report linked the Taliban and other Afghan government opponents to 72 percent of all civilian deaths. The report said the Afghan armed forces were linked to 14 percent of all deaths, and international forces to two percent. UN researchers could not identify which side was responsible for the rest of the deaths.

 

The human rights director says the second leading cause of civilian casualties was improvised explosive devices, commonly known as IEDs. Militants often used IEDs to attack Afghan or international forces.

 

The report also noted increased numbers of suicide attacks last year.

 

Ms. Gagnon spoke to reporters in Kabul. She read a message from the UN’s human rights chief. The message said the attacks on Afghan civilians were unacceptable and could be considered war crimes. The statement called on all sides to respect international agreements.

 

Documenting these trends should not be regarded as a body count, but as a vital step towards accountability. It is high time that states live up to their responsibility to protect civilians, and that perpetrators of war crimes and other violations understand that they will face justice for what they have done.”

 

Nicholas Haysom heads the UN office in Kabul. He urged the Taliban to honor their public statements to avoid civilian casualties and stop attacking civilians.

 

They (the Taliban) have accepted in their engagements with us that protection of the civilians is important and have pledged to take certain measures to eradicate civilian casualties from their own part. We have gratifyingly seen public commitments. Now is the time for results.”

 

The Taliban has strongly rejected earlier UN findings that blamed the group for the majority of civilian deaths in Afghanistan. The Taliban accuses the United Nations of using only information provided by its enemies.

 

Words in This Story

 

civilian - adj. not military

 

grenade(s) - n. a small bomb

 

surge(d) - v. to suddenly increase; rising sharply

 

accountability - n. taking responsibility

 

(责任编辑:v365)
最新新闻
  1. 全球即时看!扎克伯格身家缩水近
  2. 世界信息:国产操作系统再迎喜讯
  3. 当前关注:拼多多“出海”:对标
  4. 微动态丨iPhone 14全线破发 苹果将
  5. 资讯:“二舅”UP主回应质疑:目前
  6. 特斯拉上海超级工厂一期第二阶段
  7. 苹果高管Huang回应iOS 16复制粘贴许
  8. 特斯拉8月份在北京上海等城市新
  9. 苹果宣布10月欧洲 App Store 应用和
  10. Lilium携手软件巨头Palantir展开合作
  11. 暴雪《暗黑破坏神 4》即将封测
  12. 因丰巢快递柜侵犯肖像权等,龚俊
  13. 美富豪亿万艾萨克曼与SpaceX合作
  14. 今日聚焦!碾压iPhone 14系列!曝华
  15. 当前头条:华为Mate50首发5G套装 明
  16. 即时看!iPhone 15明年或将搭载Type
  17. 全球即时:售价799元!华为Mate 50系
  18. 资讯:针对iPhone机型《王者荣耀》
  19. 每日看点!1.5K直屏+骁龙8+旗舰芯!
  20. 【独家】iPhone 14顶配速度拉胯了!
  21. 世界热点评!仅限30条!Mate50卫星通
  22. 天天微资讯!华为Mate 50系列通信壳
  23. 环球速讯:土豪金被冷落!iPhone1
  24. 世界看点:经济学家任泽平:iPho
  25. 每日速讯:工信部:鸿蒙操作系统
  26. 天天信息:鹿晗为关晓彤庆生 鹿
  27. 当前短讯!啃完华为又嚼苹果,手
  28. 天天时讯:赌王三房千金何超云获
  29. 世界看点:成立12年,中国首家上市
  30. 环球今亮点:井柏然晒秋日身穿毛
  31. 天天观热点:《奇怪的律师禹英雨
  32. 天天亮点:汪小菲张颖颖外出聚餐
  33. 世界微动态丨李政宰确诊新冠中断
  34. 世界快看点:林允儿回应《黑话律
  35. 天天视点:魔力红Maroon 5主唱被曝
  36. 全球热点评!9月20日酒泉疫情最新
  37. 环球观速讯:9月20日张掖甘州区疫
  38. 天天视点:9月20日甘肃疫情最新消
  39. 今日精选:9月20日岳阳疫情最新消
  40. 快资讯:9月20日湘潭疫情最新消息
  41. 每日资讯:2022-09-20 14:17哈尔滨疫
  42. 世界热资讯:青海昨日新增本土无
  43. 【环球时快讯】92号、95号汽油价
  44. 世界快播:9月20日杭州疫情最新消
  45. 世界视讯!官宣,iPhone即将支持《
  46. 当前关注:华为Mate 50系列5G通信壳
  47. 环球热门:比iPhone 14PM还贵!华为
  48. 当前视讯!大部分供应商将收到加
  49. 天天百事通!卢伟冰深夜疑惑:年
  50. 环球观焦点:华为Mate 50系列5G通信